Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) stated that investigators have found evidence of 32 killings during the 2013 Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel, Dhaka. He told reporters on Sunday that about 90 percent of the investigation has been completed and the report is expected to be submitted within the month. The case involves allegations of crimes against humanity.

According to the prosecutor, the investigation may name around 20 to 25 accused, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. However, he said it would not be appropriate to disclose all names at this stage for the sake of the investigation. In the related case, nine individuals, including Sheikh Hasina, have been initially accused, with four currently in custody.

Those detained include former state minister for home Shamsul Haque Tuku, former inspector general of police A.K.M. Shahidul Haque, retired Major General Ziaul Ahsan, and former deputy inspector general Mollah Nazrul Islam. The remaining accused, including former ministers and police chiefs, are reported to be absconding.

The National University has published the results of the 2025–2026 academic year honors first-year admission test. The results were announced on Sunday afternoon by Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. A.S.M. Amanullah. According to the university, the overall pass rate stands at 80.36 percent. A total of 453,148 students took part in the examination, of whom 364,135 passed. Among the successful candidates, 229,765 have been placed on the first merit list.

The merit list includes 113,394 students from the humanities group, 65,337 from science, and 51,034 from business studies. The admission test was held on April 25, and the results were released within a week as planned, according to the Vice-Chancellor. Results can be accessed via SMS by sending the application ID to 16222 or through the university’s admission website under the Honours tab.

The result announcement event was attended by the Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Md. Lutfar Rahman, Treasurer Professor Dr. A.T.M. Zafarul Azam, and other senior officials of the university.

Residents of Jamalpur city staged a blockade of both rail and road routes on Sunday afternoon at the Shekher Vita rail crossing to protest prolonged waterlogging in their area. The demonstration temporarily disrupted public movement, halting a commuter train from Dewanganj to Dhaka for about 40 minutes and suspending all traffic on the Jamalpur-Madariganj road, causing long traffic jams on both sides.

Police from Jamalpur Sadar Station, led by Officer-in-Charge Mizanur Rahman, arrived at the scene and worked with municipal authorities to restore order. The protesters lifted the blockade after receiving assurances that the waterlogging problem would be addressed quickly. Local residents said they had been trapped in water for 10 to 12 days, facing severe difficulties in cooking, moving, and sending children to school.

Jamalpur Municipality Executive Officer Zahurul Haque stated that the municipal authority began drainage work immediately after learning about the blockade to relieve the affected areas.

On the sixth day of this year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations, 26 students were expelled and 34,946 were absent across 11 education boards in Bangladesh. The Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee released the data in a report signed by its president and Dhaka Education Board chairman, Professor Dr. Khondoker Ehsanul Kabir, on Sunday.

According to the report, under nine general education boards, the compulsory mathematics exam was held with 1,317,173 registered candidates, of whom 1,298,521 were present, leaving 18,652 absent. Fourteen students were expelled under six of these boards. In the Madrasa Education Board’s Bangla second paper exam, 12,576 students were absent out of 249,030, and six were expelled. The Technical Education Board’s Physics-2 exam recorded 3,718 absentees out of 119,993 candidates, with six expulsions.

The report noted that absenteeism and expulsions were highest in the Madrasa Education Board’s Dakhil examinations, reflecting a continuing trend of irregular attendance in that stream.

The Supreme Court of Bangladesh has suspended its virtual court proceedings that were being held on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week. The administrative announcement was issued on Sunday, May 3, 2026, halting the system that had been in place for two weeks. The virtual sessions had been introduced on April 20, 2026, in response to the global energy situation, allowing both divisions of the Supreme Court to conduct hearings online.

According to earlier notices, the initiative was implemented under the Information Technology Use Act 2020 and the Supreme Court’s practice directives. The arrangement allowed virtual hearings twice a week while maintaining in-person sessions on other working days. Daily cause lists and virtual meeting IDs were published on the Supreme Court’s website for relevant cases.

The suspension marks a pause in the court’s recent experiment with remote judicial operations, which had been intended to balance energy considerations with judicial efficiency. No further details were provided on when or whether the virtual sessions might resume.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has introduced an automated e-traffic prosecution system that issues notices to vehicle owners and drivers who violate traffic laws across the city. Using CCTV footage and still images, the system automatically generates and sends notices by registered mail. If recipients fail to appear and pay fines as instructed, summons or arrest warrants will be issued through the Special Metropolitan Magistrates. The announcement was made in a public notice signed by the DMP’s acting commissioner on May 3.

According to the notice, the initiative aims to modernize traffic management, reduce congestion, and improve citizen services. The DMP is targeting unregistered or unfit vehicles, illegal parking, and other traffic violations. Citizens are advised to avoid any unofficial financial transactions related to fines and to report fraudulent payment requests to nearby police stations or traffic divisions.

The DMP has also installed advanced CCTV cameras equipped with AI technology at major intersections to detect offenses such as red-light violations, wrong-way driving, illegal parking, and lane blocking, enabling digital prosecution of offenders.

Kazi Imdadul Haque, a recently retired tax commissioner from the National Board of Revenue (NBR), has been appointed as the new Director General of the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) on a contractual basis with the rank of secretary. He officially joined the position on Sunday, according to the announcement.

Haque is widely recognized in Bangladesh’s revenue administration and literary circles for his contributions over a career spanning more than three decades. A member of the 7th batch of the BCS (Tax) cadre, he previously served as President of the Taxes Appellate Tribunal and as a tax commissioner at the NBR, where he played a key role in strengthening the country’s economic and administrative framework. He also represented Bangladesh internationally on tax policy and double taxation agreements and served as private secretary to the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications from 2001 to 2004.

An alumnus of the University of Dhaka, Haque earned first place in his MSc in Soil, Water and Environment. Alongside his administrative career, he is known for his literary work, including the research-based book “Kalo Taka,” and for promoting tax awareness through television programs.

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) announced on Sunday that the retail price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) will remain unchanged for May. According to the commission, the price of a 12-kilogram LPG cylinder will stay at 1,940 taka. The decision took effect from 6 p.m. on the same day. BERC stated this in an official notice issued on May 3, 2026.

The commission had adjusted LPG prices twice in April. On April 2, the price of a 12-kilogram cylinder was increased by 387 taka to 1,728 taka, and again on April 19, it was raised by 212 taka to reach the current 1,940 taka. Meanwhile, BERC slightly increased the price of autogas by 0.02 taka per liter, setting it at 89.52 taka per liter including VAT for May.

Autogas prices were also revised twice in April, first on April 2 and then on April 19, when the rate rose to 89.50 taka per liter. The latest adjustment marks a minimal increase for May, reflecting a stabilization in LPG pricing after consecutive hikes last month.

Speakers at a national convention in Dhaka on May 3, 2026, called for renewed strategies to address Bangladesh’s growing educated unemployment. The session, held at the Diploma Engineers Institute and organized by the National Citizen Party’s Reform Implementation Committee, focused on economic restructuring, governance, and employment. Participants emphasized automating revenue collection, curbing corruption in large projects, and diversifying energy sources to revive economic momentum.

Speakers including Dr. M. Masrur Riaz of Policy Exchange Bangladesh, BDJobs CEO Fahim Mashroor, and former DCCI president Shams Mahmud discussed structural weaknesses in the economy. They highlighted issues such as weak financial governance, high youth unemployment among university graduates, and the lack of investment due to energy shortages and high interest rates. Calls were made for entrepreneurship development and overseas employment opportunities for graduates.

Panelists also criticized long-standing corruption, poor banking discipline, and overreliance on foreign loans. They urged reforms in tax automation, banking governance, and energy diversification to restore economic stability and create sustainable employment opportunities.

A massive wildfire that spread across Japan’s Iwate region has finally been brought under control after 11 days of continuous efforts by firefighters and military personnel. Officials said it was the country’s second-largest wildfire in 30 years, burning about 1,600 hectares of mountainous forest—roughly five times the size of Central Park. According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, at least eight buildings were damaged and two people sustained minor injuries, while thousands were evacuated for safety.

Otsuchi Mayor Kozo Hirano stated that the fire was contained through extensive aerial and ground operations combined with heavy rainfall, though he warned that small pockets of fire might still remain. Kyodo News also described the blaze as Japan’s second-largest in three decades.

Experts noted that increasingly dry winters are heightening wildfire risks. Scientists have long warned that climate change driven by fossil fuel use is intensifying droughts, potentially leading to more severe wildfires in the future.

Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain has emphasized the importance of citizen awareness in resolving the city’s waterlogging problem. During an inspection of the month-long canal and drain cleaning campaign in East Madarbari, West Madarbari, and Pathantuli wards, he said that a clean city cannot be achieved by the corporation alone and that residents must act responsibly.

The mayor noted that indiscriminate dumping of plastic, polythene, and waste undermines cleaning efforts. He mentioned that a sluice gate is under construction by the Water Development Board in Gulzar Khal, and temporary embankments have caused short-term waterlogging in nearby areas, including Agrabad Commercial Area. He expressed regret for the inconvenience and said the Bangladesh Army’s 34 Engineering Brigade and the Water Development Board have been instructed to complete the work quickly.

Dr. Hossain added that once the sluice gate and canal renovation projects are completed, waterlogging will significantly decrease. He urged citizens, local representatives, and political activists to maintain cleanliness and build a culture of weekly cleaning to make Chattogram more livable.

A total of 43,773 Bangladeshi pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the ongoing Hajj season, according to the Hajj Office. Director Md Lokman Hossain said that as of 10 a.m. today, 110 flights had landed in Jeddah. The Hajj bulletin reported that seven pilgrims have died of natural causes so far, five in Makkah and two in Madinah.

The bulletin also stated that the Saudi medical team has provided direct treatment to 9,175 pilgrims, while another 9,730 received health services through the IT helpdesk. This year, Bangladesh has been allocated a total of 78,500 Hajj slots, managed by 660 agencies, including 30 main and 630 coordinating agencies. Of the total, 4,565 pilgrims are under government management and 73,935 under private management.

Flights have been operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Saudia, and Flynas, with 34,543 pilgrims yet to depart. The first Hajj flight left Dhaka on April 17, and the pilgrimage is expected to take place on May 26, depending on moon sighting. Return flights are scheduled between May 30 and June 30.

Titas Gas authorities have announced a temporary suspension of gas supply in several areas of Dhaka, including Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara and nearby localities. The company issued a statement on Sunday, May 3, expressing regret for the disruption and explaining the cause of the outage.

According to the statement, a pipeline of Titas Gas was damaged during work by Dhaka Wasa on the Gulshan-Badda Link Road. To prevent possible damage to life and property, the gas valves were closed and repair work on the leakage is underway. As a result, gas supply in the affected areas remains suspended.

The company has not specified when the repair work will be completed or when gas supply will resume in the affected neighborhoods.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has condemned what he described as the “irresponsible” approach of several European countries toward Iran’s nuclear issue. He stated that instead of repeating false claims, those countries should denounce the military aggression by the United States and Israel against Iran.

Araghchi made the remarks during a telephone conversation with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Saturday night. The two diplomats discussed regional developments and the security, legal, and economic consequences of the U.S.-Israeli military actions against Iran. Araghchi also briefed Tajani on the latest diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire and ending the imposed conflict, emphasizing the need for European nations to play a responsible role in this process.

Reiterating that Tehran’s nuclear program is entirely peaceful, Araghchi urged European countries to adopt a more balanced and constructive position on the matter.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has stated that the United States’ room for decision-making on Iran has become increasingly limited. In a statement cited by Al Jazeera, the IRGC said Tehran has set a deadline for the removal of US blockades on Iranian ports, though the specific timeframe was not disclosed.

According to the IRGC, shifts are emerging in the positions of China, Russia, and European countries against Washington. The group added that former US President Donald Trump now faces two difficult choices: launching an unfeasible military operation or agreeing to what it described as an unfavorable deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The remarks come amid ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States, with both military and diplomatic pressures reportedly intensifying.