In Kaptai upazila of Rangamati district, residents are facing 12 to 14 hours of daily load shedding, severely affecting daily life and ongoing SSC examinations. Students reported that frequent power outages during study hours, both day and night, make it difficult to concentrate due to extreme heat. Parents expressed deep concern, urging authorities to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply until the exams end. The outages have also disrupted operations in educational institutions, factories, banks, insurance offices, businesses, and hospitals, with some factory owners reporting order cancellations due to missed delivery deadlines.

The Kaptai Karnafuli Hydroelectric Power Station, which normally produces 230 megawatts for the national grid, is currently generating only 30 to 40 megawatts because of low water levels. As a result, even the area producing electricity is suffering long power cuts. Acting residential engineer Ashraful Islam acknowledged the load shedding, explaining that one of two supply lines is alternately shut down. He assured that the problem would not persist long and that examinees would not face major disruptions.

The situation highlights the irony of power shortages in a region that contributes electricity to the national grid.

An unapproved stone crushing operation named Al-Madina Wash Plan has been accused of causing severe environmental damage near the Dhaka-Tangail highway in Achimotla area of Jamurki Union, Mirzapur upazila, Tangail. The activity reportedly continues day and night without proper authorization or required documentation, producing noise and dust pollution that threaten local residents, businesses, and workers’ health.

Local residents complained that the constant machine noise and dust make daily life difficult, covering nearby shops and obstructing movement along the road. The owner, Suman Khan, claimed to have a trade license but was unaware of other necessary permits. Officials from the Department of Environment and the Mirzapur Upazila administration said they were not aware of the operation but promised to investigate and take action if irregularities are found.

The ongoing unregulated activity has raised concerns about environmental degradation and public health risks in the area, prompting calls from residents for relocation of the facility to a more suitable site.

A special anti-war concert titled 'No War No Empire' is being held this afternoon at the base of the Raju Memorial Sculpture on the Dhaka University campus. The event, organized jointly by several political parties and progressive student groups, aims to protest ongoing wars, genocides, and imperial domination around the world. According to organizers, the concert will begin at 4:30 p.m. and feature performances by popular Bangladeshi artists and bands including Kofil Ahmed, Arup Rahi, Ahmed Hasan Sani, Ila Lalalala, Warda Ashraf, Suchin Marma, Kuasha Murkh, and groups such as Shohojia, Chorus, The Comrades, Bangla Five, Mavoi, and Samgeet.

Organizers stated that the concert expresses solidarity with people in Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, Venezuela, and Cuba facing aggression and mass killings. They also plan to demand the cancellation of U.S. trade agreements signed during the interim government period. The initiative reflects artists’ belief that they cannot remain silent amid global conflicts and humanitarian crises.

The concert is open to all, with the goal of using music and cultural expression to build public opinion against imperialism and spread messages of peace.

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) hosted a reception and award ceremony for the Bangladesh Under-20 national football team, which recently won the SAFF U-20 Championship. The event took place on Wednesday morning at the Gulshan Nagar Bhaban in Dhaka. Each player received a cheque of 50,000 taka, a crest, and a commemorative gift from DNCC, while the coaching staff were presented with honorary mementos.

DNCC Administrator Md. Shafiqul Islam Khan attended as the chief guest, and Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) President Tabith Awal was present as the special guest. DNCC Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Asaduzzaman delivered the welcome speech. In his remarks, the DNCC administrator praised the players’ achievement and highlighted ongoing efforts to free public spaces for sports under the Prime Minister’s directive. He emphasized that the main goal of the event was to honor and inspire the young athletes.

BFF President Tabith Awal thanked the DNCC administrator for his support of sports and noted the city corporation’s role in promoting unity and social well-being through athletics.

Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar on Friday, April 24, 2026, accused the government of returning to authoritarian rule and using student groups to suppress dissent. Speaking as the chief guest at a ward presidents’ conference organized by Jhenaidah district Jamaat, he alleged that the government was unleashing student activists against others in educational institutions and warned that citizens would not tolerate a return to autocracy.

Porwar criticized the government for alleged election engineering and claimed that those labeling Jamaat and Shibir as secretive had themselves lived abroad for 17 years. He also accused the ruling party of maintaining fascist tendencies and said the people had previously sacrificed their lives to end such regimes. Responding to remarks by the prime minister, he argued that the government, not Jamaat, was possessed by authoritarian impulses.

Addressing the July national charter and referendum, Porwar said 33 political parties had reached consensus on constitutional reforms, but the BNP opposed ten key points. He warned that if the government ignored the referendum mandate, the people would take to the streets again.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has strongly condemned the assault on a college teacher and other staff at Daokandi Government University College in Durgapur, Rajshahi. In a statement issued to the media on Friday, the party’s Assistant Secretary General and Secretary of Publicity and Media, Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, denounced the April 23 attack, which allegedly involved local BNP leader Akbar Ali and his associates. The attackers reportedly entered the college during examinations, demanded money, assaulted a female teacher with shoes, and vandalized property.

Zubair described the incident as unacceptable and alarming, saying it insulted the entire teaching community and disrupted the educational environment. He criticized the law enforcement agencies for their inaction despite being present during the attack, calling it a sign of deteriorating law and order. Jamaat demanded a thorough investigation into the assault, identification and arrest of those responsible, and proper medical care, security, and compensation for the injured teachers.

The statement also urged the government to ensure justice and restore safety in educational institutions across the country.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released its April 2026 World Economic Outlook, showing that India has dropped from the top five to sixth place among the world’s largest economies. The United States remains the largest economy with over 32.4 trillion dollars in GDP, followed by China at 20.8 trillion, Germany at 5.4 trillion, Japan at 4.4 trillion, and the United Kingdom at 4.3 trillion. India’s nominal GDP is estimated at 4.15 trillion dollars, slightly below the UK and Japan.

According to the IMF, India’s shift in ranking is mainly due to changes in currency exchange rates and the adoption of a new GDP base year. The Indian government updated its methodology using 2022–23 as the new base year, revising earlier figures downward by about 3–4 percent. The rupee’s depreciation of roughly 10 percent against the US dollar over the past year also contributed to the decline.

The IMF projects that India will regain its position by 2027, overtaking the UK and Japan, and could surpass Germany by 2031 to become the world’s third-largest economy.

An Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to arrive in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Friday night, according to several Pakistani government sources cited by Al Jazeera. The visit comes amid what sources describe as a strong possibility of major progress in discussions between the United States and Iran. Earlier in the day, Araghchi and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a phone conversation, confirmed by both sides.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the two ministers discussed regional developments, ceasefire efforts, and ongoing diplomatic initiatives related to U.S.-Iran engagement. Dar emphasized the importance of continuous dialogue, while Araghchi praised Pakistan’s consistent and constructive mediating role. Iran’s state news agency IRNA also reported that Araghchi spoke separately with Pakistan’s army chief, though Islamabad has not confirmed this call.

Pakistan has been preparing for a potential second round of U.S.-Iran talks after the first 21-hour session in February ended without agreement. Security has been tightened in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, and two hotels have been reserved for delegations, though Iran has not yet agreed to resume talks.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman declared that the movement to secure people's rights will continue without pause until the referendum verdict and the July Charter are fully implemented. He warned that those who betray the July cause will not be spared. Rahman made these remarks on Friday at a public gathering organized by Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka.

He stated that the alliance of eleven parties will not rest until the referendum verdict is realized, emphasizing that their movement will persist both in parliament and on the streets. The event was part of a broader campaign demanding the full implementation of the July Charter and recognition of the referendum outcome.

The gathering also reflected growing calls from allied groups for intensified street mobilization and national unity around the July cause, signaling continued political activism in the coming months.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has called for a national rally on Saturday, April 25, at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka, involving families of July martyrs and July fighters. The event aims to press for the implementation of the referendum verdict, constitutional reform, and inclusion of the July Charter in the constitution. Party Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar urged citizens to ensure the rally’s success through spontaneous participation.

In a statement issued Friday, Porwar said thousands of students and people from various professions sacrificed their lives, blood, and health during the July uprising to reform the state and secure citizens’ rights. He criticized the current BNP-led government for failing to implement the February 12 referendum verdict, despite nearly 70 percent voting “yes,” calling it disrespectful to the martyrs and the nation.

Porwar also urged the government to honor the sacrifices of July martyrs by swiftly implementing the referendum outcome, improving law and order, and ensuring justice for recent campus violence incidents.

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has issued new directives for meat sellers in the capital, making it mandatory to pay fixed slaughtering fees. The announcement, made through a public notice on April 24, 2026, states that failure to comply with the new rules will result in legal action under existing laws.

According to the notice, the fees have been set under the Animal Slaughter and Meat Quality Control Act, 2011, and the related regulations of 2021. Meat shops under DSCC’s jurisdiction must now pay Tk 10 for each goat or sheep, Tk 50 for each cow, and Tk 75 for each buffalo slaughtered. The corporation has urged all meat traders to strictly follow the new directive.

The DSCC also warned that any violation of these instructions will lead to legal measures as per the applicable laws, emphasizing the importance of proper implementation across all meat businesses in Dhaka South.

A mobile court in Tarash upazila of Sirajganj has fined four individuals a total of Tk 400,000 and sentenced them to 25 days in jail for illegally cutting and selling soil from triple-crop farmland. The operation took place last Thursday in the Sholapara area of Tarash municipality, led by Executive Magistrate Ehsan Ahmed of the Sirajganj district administration. Four dump trucks used in the illegal activity were also seized during the raid.

According to the magistrate, the offenders were caught transporting fertile agricultural soil without authorization. Each of the four was fined Tk 100,000, and after failing to pay, their jail terms were extended by 10 days, totaling 25 days each. The convicts were sent to the district jail through Tarash police, and the seized trucks remain in police custody.

The action highlights local authorities’ enforcement against illegal soil extraction, which threatens agricultural productivity in the region.

The long-awaited biopic ‘Michael’, based on the life and musical journey of American pop icon Michael Jackson, is set for international release on Friday, April 24. Bangladeshi audiences will be able to watch the film the same day at Star Cineplex. The film stars Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in the lead role, alongside Miles Teller, Colman Domingo, Kat Graham, Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Kendrick Sampson, and Juliano Krue Valdi.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film traces Michael Jackson’s rise from his early days as the lead singer of the Jackson 5 to becoming one of the most celebrated solo artists in global music history. It promises to reveal lesser-known aspects of his life and include some of his most famous performances. The trailer, released in February, surpassed five million views within a day, signaling strong anticipation among fans.

The film’s simultaneous release in Bangladesh underscores the enduring popularity of Michael Jackson, whose music continues to attract around 65 million monthly listeners on Spotify even more than a decade after his death in 2009.

A mass rally organized by Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis began at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka on Friday, demanding the swift implementation of a referendum verdict. The gathering started at 2 p.m. following the Friday prayers and was presided over by the party’s Amir, Maulana Mamunul Haque.

Senior leaders of the party, along with the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, the Opposition Chief Whip, top figures from the 11-party alliance, and representatives from various political and professional groups, addressed the rally. Supporters and activists from Dhaka and surrounding areas began arriving at the venue from the morning and performed the Friday prayers there.

According to the organizers, the rally was scheduled to continue until the afternoon, focusing on mobilizing public support for the party’s demand regarding the referendum outcome.

The National University of Bangladesh will hold its 2025–26 academic year undergraduate (honours) first-year admission test on Saturday, April 25, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. across the country. Vice-Chancellor Professor A.S.M. Amanullah announced the schedule at a press conference in Dhaka on Friday. A total of 453,148 candidates will sit for the test against 452,875 available seats.

According to the Vice-Chancellor, 475,432 students initially applied for admission, of whom 453,148 confirmed their applications. As of April 23 evening, admit cards had been issued to 433,519 candidates. The test will be conducted in 880 colleges nationwide, including 375 public and 505 private institutions. There are 270,520 seats in public colleges and 182,355 in private ones.

A total of 138 examination centers have been prepared across the country, including 18 in Dhaka city and others in all divisions. The multiple-choice test will feature separate question sets for humanities (A and B), science (C and D), and business studies (E and F).