Islami Andolan Bangladesh has called on the government to take an active role in controlling the country's rising commodity prices. In a statement issued to the media on Wednesday, the party’s secretary general, Principal Hafiz Maulana Yunus Ahmad, said that the abnormal price hikes of essential goods have become a serious burden for low- and middle-income families. Prices of vegetables, poultry, edible oil, sugar, and other daily necessities have sharply increased, forcing many consumers to buy cheaper alternatives or reduce their purchases.

Yunus Ahmad cited specific examples, noting that the price of golden chicken has risen to 400–430 taka per kilogram from 270–300 taka during Ramadan, while beef now sells for 800 taka per kilogram, up from 750–780 taka. He attributed the price surge to syndicates, extortion, and profiteering rather than genuine supply issues. The party demanded that the government strengthen market monitoring, prevent hoarding and syndicate manipulation, and take action against profiteers.

In a separate statement, Islami Andolan leaders from Dhaka South condemned threats allegedly made by U.S. and Israeli leaders against Persian civilization, calling such remarks a violation of global human rights.

The 15th edition of the SAFF Championship, scheduled for September–October 2026, faces uncertainty as the host venue has yet to be finalized. Originally planned for 2025, the tournament was postponed by a year due to logistical complications, including venue issues. Sri Lanka was initially designated as the central host, with matches to be played on a home-and-away basis, but later withdrew from hosting responsibilities citing limitations. In a January meeting held in Thailand, Bangladesh was proposed as the new host, yet the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) has not made an official announcement.

SAFF General Secretary Purushottam Kattel stated that despite the uncertainty, the federation aims to hold the tournament within the September–October window. Discussions with potential sponsors are ongoing, and an official declaration will follow once sponsorship is confirmed.

Meanwhile, the Women’s SAFF Championship will begin in India on May 25, featuring six teams. Defending champions Bangladesh, winners of the last two editions, will aim for a third consecutive title. Pakistan will not participate as the matches are being held in India.

Authorities in Kalkini upazila of Madaripur district conducted a late-night operation at Mollarchar Bazar in Koyaria Union, seizing a large quantity of jatka hilsa. The raid, led by Upazila Nirbahi Officer Saif Ul Arefin around 11:45 p.m. on Tuesday, was based on a confidential tip-off. Officials recovered approximately 27 maunds of jatka left abandoned at the site. However, those involved managed to flee before the team arrived, and no arrests were made.

On Wednesday morning around 8:30 a.m., the seized jatka were distributed among 14 orphanages in Kalkini upazila. The upazila administration stated that such operations will continue to prevent illegal jatka fishing and enforce the government ban on catching young hilsa.

The action reflects ongoing local efforts to protect fish resources and ensure compliance with national conservation regulations.

Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar, editor of Citizens for Good Governance (SUJAN), stated that the referendum on the July National Charter was approved by the people and should be implemented fully. He criticized the delay in its execution and accused the BNP of presenting weak arguments regarding the note of dissent. He made these remarks on Wednesday at a roundtable discussion titled “Politics of Ordinance Repeal and Referendum Denial: Bangladesh in the Era of Parliamentary Autocracy” held at the National Press Club.

Majumdar argued that BNP’s claim that the issue is not in the constitution is unfounded, citing historical precedents such as the caretaker government led by Justice Shahabuddin, which also lacked constitutional basis but was formed through political consensus. He explained that the note of dissent represents a minority view within the 14-member parliamentary committee, where 11 members were from the ruling party and three from the opposition. The majority view, he said, was approved in the referendum and endorsed by the people.

He concluded that BNP’s reasoning on the matter is unconvincing and inconsistent with democratic consensus.

Following a report published by the newspaper Amar Desh, the local administration in Banaripara upazila of Barishal launched an eviction drive to remove illegal structures from the Sandhya River’s char area. The operation began on Wednesday morning near the ferry ghat’s southern side and continued until evening. The drive was led by the upazila land office’s surveyor Mamun and process server Md Khayer, assisted by 10–12 workers. Local BNP leaders, including upazila president Shahe Alam, were present during the operation.

During the eviction, upazila BNP joint secretary Abdus Sabur Khan reportedly began constructing a new house within 50 yards of the ferry ghat, prompting local residents to question the administration’s actions. Assistant Commissioner (Land) GMA Munib stated that all illegal structures would be removed in phases. The drive followed an Amar Desh report alleging that influential groups, including BNP leaders, were selling parts of the river char.

The report drew strong public attention, leading to a surge in newspaper demand in Banaripara. Meanwhile, Amar Desh staff reporter Nikunja Bala Palash received threats from alleged land grabbers after the publication.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has granted policy approval for the Bhola Bridge project on the Bhola-Barishal road, to be implemented under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. The decision was made during a meeting held at the National Parliament Building, chaired by Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury. The committee also approved the construction of a bridge over the Meghna River on the Shariatpur-Chandpur road under the same PPP framework.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the Meghna River bridge project will include an 8-kilometer-long four-lane bridge, 8.57 kilometers of approach roads on both sides, and 9.63 kilometers of riverbank protection work. The Bhola Bridge project aims to establish direct road connectivity between Bhola district, Barishal, and Dhaka, featuring a 10.867-kilometer four-lane bridge and 18.075 kilometers of riverbank protection. The estimated construction cost is Tk 17,466.32 crore, with 507.5 acres of land to be acquired and utility relocation costs covered by the government.

The committee also approved proposals to purchase 300,000 tons of diesel from three companies and authorized UNICEF to procure vaccines through both direct purchase and open tender methods.

Professor Dr. Mamun Ahmed, Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh, has called for ensuring transparency in evaluating the second-phase research proposals under the Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) project. He made the directive during a discussion meeting with project officials and World Bank representatives on the project’s implementation progress and work plan.

The meeting was attended by UGC member Professor Dr. Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan, World Bank Senior Education Specialist and Task Team Leader T. M. Asaduzzaman, and HEAT Project Director Professor Dr. Asaduzzaman, among others. The UGC chairman emphasized that the evaluation of the Academic Transformation Fund (ATF) sub-projects must be completed carefully and within the scheduled timeframe, ensuring fairness and avoiding any confusion or controversy. The World Bank representative noted that the first-phase evaluations were conducted transparently and that the experience is being applied to other projects.

The UGC chairman also announced plans to hold a coordination meeting with the education, finance, and planning ministries to expedite implementation. The HEAT project is expected to be completed by 2028, with the current evaluation phase scheduled to conclude by June.

Three students of Noakhali Science and Technology University (NSTU) have been expelled for varying periods for using unfair means during term examinations. The decision was announced in a notice signed by the university registrar on April 8, 2026, following the 39th meeting of the university’s disciplinary board held on March 3. Two students from the Social Work Department (academic year 2024–25) were expelled for one year, while one student from the CSTE Department (academic year 2021–22) was expelled for six months.

According to the notice, the students were found with incriminating papers and mobile phones during exams and were caught copying from them. Their respective exam papers were canceled, and they were removed from the examination hall. The disciplinary board also instructed that before resuming academic activities, the expelled students must complete psychological counseling sessions conducted by the university psychologist—three sessions for two students and two sessions for one student—and submit certificates of completion.

The notice further stated that all previous semester exams of the expelled students would remain valid, but their results would not be published during the suspension period.

The Cumilla Metropolitan unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir organized a protest march and rally on Wednesday afternoon in Cumilla, denouncing what it described as government delays in implementing the public verdict reflected in a recent referendum. The demonstration began at Tomchom Bridge and moved through several city streets, including Kandirpar, before concluding with a rally.

During the event, Cumilla Metropolitan Shibir president Hasan Ahmed alleged that the February 12 election was fair until noon, after which polling centers were taken over and ballots manipulated. He accused the government of coming to power through vote engineering and ignoring the people’s mandate. Hasan further warned that if the authorities failed to implement the so-called July Charter, which he claimed represented 70% of public opinion, they would face consequences similar to those of former leader Hasina.

Other speakers included Cumilla University Shibir president Mozammel Hossain Abir and city secretary Nazmul Hasan Panchayet, along with other local and university leaders.

A mobile court in Feni fined a company named Kabir & Sons Tk 200,000 for illegally storing 50,000 liters of edible oil. The operation was conducted on Wednesday under the initiative of RAB-7, with participation from an executive magistrate, the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, and the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority. The fine amount has been deposited into the government treasury as per regulations.

In a separate drive earlier in the day, the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection fined another company, Messrs Haji Nur Ahmed & Sons, Tk 50,000. The operation took place in the Takiya Road area of Feni town as part of regular monitoring activities. Officials from the Food Safety Authority, the Department of Agricultural Marketing, the National Intelligence Agency, and RAB members were present during the raids.

The coordinated enforcement actions reflect ongoing efforts by authorities to curb illegal storage and ensure compliance with food safety and consumer protection laws in the region.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the import of an additional 300,000 tons of diesel to address the country's fuel shortage caused by the Iran–United States–Israel conflict. The decision was made at a meeting held on Wednesday at the National Parliament Building, chaired by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury. The committee approved three separate proposals to purchase 100,000 tons each from Ear Energy AG, K&R International Trading Company, and Messrs Sikder International.

The committee also granted policy approval for vaccine procurement under the EPI program and for bridge construction projects in Chandpur and Bhola. It decided that 50 percent of the vaccines would be purchased directly through UNICEF and the remaining 50 percent through open tender. However, due to delays and quality concerns in open tendering, the committee approved direct procurement of the remaining vaccines through UNICEF for the 2025–26 fiscal year, with an estimated cost of Tk 421.47 crore.

Additionally, the committee approved in principle two major bridge projects under the PPP model: an 8 km bridge over the Meghna River on the Shariatpur–Chandpur road and the Bhola Bridge over the Kalabandar and Tetulia rivers on the Barishal–Bhola road.

British Trade Envoy Baroness Rosie Winterton met Bangladesh’s Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism Afroza Khanam on Wednesday at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka. During the meeting, the envoy conveyed the United Kingdom’s interest in participating in ground handling operations at the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

According to a ministry press release, both sides emphasized strengthening trade relations between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom. The British envoy assured support for implementing the current government’s election manifesto. The meeting also discussed potential new investments in Bangladesh’s aviation and tourism sectors under a recently signed memorandum of understanding between the two countries. The minister and state minister expressed their commitment to working jointly for the development of these sectors.

The government is currently in discussions with a Japanese company regarding the third terminal’s operations. A Bangladeshi delegation led by Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman met a Japanese team last Friday, but no final decision has yet been reached.

Police in Shahrasti upazila of Chandpur arrested three individuals early Wednesday, April 8, 2026, while they were allegedly preparing for a robbery. The arrests took place in Aynatoli village of Chitoshi Paschim Union, where a police team conducted an operation at dawn.

According to Shahrasti Model Police Station, officers found a group of five to six people gathered near the old boat dock area in front of Thakur Bari on a paved road. During the operation, police detained three suspects along with a pickup van and robbery equipment. The detainees were identified as Rokonuzzaman, 25, from Hajiganj in Chandpur; Hossain, 22, from Lakhai in Habiganj; and Sagar, 20, from Gournadi in Barishal.

The officer-in-charge of Shahrasti Model Police Station, Mir Mahbubur Rahman, stated that a case has been filed against the detainees and they have been presented before the court.

Bangladesh Bank has warned that ongoing conflict in the Middle East has intensified global oil market volatility, posing potential risks to Bangladesh’s economy. In its quarterly report released Wednesday, the central bank projected that rising oil prices and continued currency depreciation could accelerate domestic inflation and deplete foreign exchange reserves.

According to the analysis, if global oil prices rise by 70 percent in the first quarter of 2026 and by another 30 percent in the second quarter, domestic fuel prices may increase significantly. A sustained five percent depreciation of the exchange rate during the same period could push inflation up by 0.5 to 2 percent by the end of 2026. The report noted that if the government absorbs the global oil price shock through fiscal measures, inflationary pressure could remain moderate.

The report further indicated that higher energy import costs and central bank interventions to stabilize the exchange rate could reduce reserves by about 6.5 billion dollars by December 2026. Bangladesh Bank emphasized the need for policy preparedness, suggesting flexible exchange rates and partial fuel price adjustments to maintain macroeconomic stability.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard conducted a large-scale operation in the Sundarbans, arresting 61 members of several notorious bandit groups. The operation was part of ongoing efforts to keep the mangrove forest free from piracy. Coast Guard media officer Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujon confirmed the arrests on Wednesday afternoon, noting that the joint operations are carried out regularly to ensure the safety of the region.

Lieutenant Sakib Imran, navigating officer of BCGS Swadhin Bangla, stated that the detainees belonged to the Karim-Sharif, Nana Bhai, Chhoto Suman, Alif, and Asabur gangs. The operation also led to the seizure of 80 firearms, 599 live rounds, 308 blank rounds, and 1,950 airgun bullets. Additionally, 78 fishermen and three tourists were rescued from captivity. Authorities emphasized that their goal is to secure the Sundarbans and protect those who depend on it.

The Coast Guard has intensified patrols and surveillance across rivers and canals, maintaining regular contact with local residents. Several hideouts of the bandit groups have been identified and destroyed, and joint operations will continue.