Bangladesh’s Minister of Cultural Affairs Nitai Roy Chowdhury announced that the traditional Mongol Shobhajatra, organized annually by the Faculty of Fine Arts at Dhaka University to celebrate Pahela Baishakh, will now be known as ‘Boishakhi Shobhajatra’. The decision was revealed on Sunday during a press conference on the upcoming Bengali New Year and related festivities of ethnic communities including Chakma, Marma, Tripura, and Garo. The minister said the government reached this decision to resolve long-standing debates over the procession’s name.

He explained that Pahela Baishakh represents joy and well-being, rooted in Bangladesh’s agrarian heritage. The new name aims to preserve cultural unity while avoiding confusion and division. The procession will continue to feature diverse regional traditions, folk art, and music. Chowdhury also assured that UNESCO’s recognition of the event would remain unaffected, as the government will simply notify the organization of the name change.

The minister added that daylong cultural programs will be held at Ramna Batamul and other venues, with maximum security measures in place. He urged citizens to celebrate responsibly and uphold national unity through cultural diversity.

Israel has continued its airstrikes on Gaza amid ongoing conflict with Iran, killing three people in the latest attacks. According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, one person was killed and several others injured when Israeli forces targeted a civilian vehicle at the entrance of the Maghazi refugee camp. The injured were taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. In a separate strike east of Gaza City, two more people were reported killed.

Wafa reported that since the end of the previous ceasefire last year, Israeli attacks have killed 709 people and injured at least 1,928 others. The agency added that since October 2023, the total number of Palestinians killed has risen to 72,291, most of them women and children.

The report comes as Israel reportedly prepares for possible strikes on Iranian energy facilities while awaiting signals from the United States, and as tensions escalate with Hezbollah following claims of killing 90 of its members in Lebanon.

An investigation committee formed by the National Sports Council has submitted its report on alleged irregularities in the most recent Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) election. The committee was instructed to deliver the report within 15 working days but submitted it earlier on Sunday. Most individuals involved in the election appeared before the committee, except former youth and sports adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, who did not respond to the summons.

Asif Mahmud, who served as youth and sports adviser during the last BCB election, faced allegations of interference in the electoral process. Despite being called to testify, he did not attend any session with the investigators. Consequently, the committee submitted its report without his statement. The report was officially handed over to the National Sports Council at noon.

Following the submission, the committee’s head, former Justice A.K.M. Asaduzzaman, confirmed that Asif Mahmud had not responded to their call, leaving his perspective absent from the final report.

Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury has announced financial assistance for the victims of the recent fire at a gaslight factory in Kadamtali, Keraniganj. Each family of the deceased will receive 200,000 taka, while injured workers will get up to 100,000 taka for medical treatment. The minister visited the burnt factory site on Saturday, expressed condolences to the victims’ families, and later met with injured workers at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.

During his visit, Chowdhury instructed hospital authorities to ensure proper treatment for the injured and assured full government support. He also declared a special fund under the Bangladesh Workers Welfare Foundation to provide the announced assistance. To determine the cause of the fire and identify those responsible, he ordered the formation of a five-member investigation committee led by a joint secretary of his ministry.

The committee has been directed to submit a detailed report within five working days, while the Dhaka district commissioner has been asked to provide a separate report on the incident.

Iran has executed two men accused of working for the United States and Israel. According to the country’s judiciary, the executions were carried out after the Supreme Court upheld the final verdict. The men, identified as Mohammad-Amin Biglari and Shahin Vahedparast, were alleged to have been involved with foreign powers during anti-government protests earlier this year.

A statement published on the judiciary’s website, Mizan Online, confirmed the executions and noted that the two were linked to demonstrations that intensified in January. The judiciary described their actions as collaboration with foreign entities during a period of unrest.

The report, citing Gulf News, did not provide further details about the nature of their alleged activities or the judicial process beyond the Supreme Court’s review and confirmation of the death sentences.

Sixteen platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed in the Sherpur-3 (Sreebardi-Jhenaigati) constituency to maintain law and order during the national parliamentary by-election. Sherpur District Election Officer and Returning Officer Mohammad Jahangir Hossain confirmed the deployment, stating that the BGB will operate as both mobile and static forces from April 4 to April 11, covering the election day on April 9.

According to the Election Commission, the Sherpur-3 constituency lies near the border, where the army is legally restricted from operating within eight kilometers of the frontier. Therefore, BGB forces have been assigned instead. Around 320 BGB members are participating, supported by ten Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) teams and four reserve teams to strengthen election security.

The by-election was rescheduled after the death of Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Nuruzzaman Badol, which led to the postponement of the February 12 election. The constituency, comprising 17 unions and one municipality across two upazilas, has 128 polling centers serving 413,377 registered voters.

At least 20 people, including children, were killed and several others injured in Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon, according to the country’s National News Agency. The attacks targeted multiple areas including Habboush, Kfou, Marakeh, Ain Bal, and Tyre district. In Habboush and Kfou, two people were killed and five injured, while drone strikes near Kadmus Road north of Tyre killed two more. Additional strikes in Marakeh killed five, including two women, and other attacks in Ain Bal, Yater, and Kana caused further casualties.

Lebanese authorities reported that since the start of Israeli aggression on March 2, a total of 1,422 people have been killed and 4,294 injured, with over one million displaced. The report cited TRT World as its source. The latest wave of attacks also left several paramedics and women among the injured, with some in critical condition.

The ongoing escalation has intensified humanitarian concerns in southern Lebanon, where repeated strikes have caused widespread displacement and civilian casualties.

Astronauts of NASA’s Artemis mission completed their final preparations on Saturday for entering the Moon’s orbit. The crew, consisting of Americans Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen, reviewed imaging and analysis tasks for lunar surface features. At the start of their workday, they were about 169,000 miles from Earth and 110,700 miles from the Moon. The next key phase, entering the Moon’s gravitational sphere, is expected between Sunday and Monday night.

NASA reported that the Orion spacecraft’s crew began their day with breakfast and music, maintaining high morale. Glover was scheduled to conduct manual piloting tests to provide NASA with additional data on deep-space performance. The astronauts also reviewed checklists for documenting their lunar flyby experience and continued photographing geological formations such as lava flows and craters.

The Artemis-2 mission is part of NASA’s long-term plan to return humans to the Moon and establish a permanent base for future deep-space research. NASA officials described the mission as a learning experience, marking the first time a crewed spacecraft is operating in deep space in decades.

Bangladesh’s Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said on Sunday, April 5, that all supply chains have been severely disrupted due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, leading to an inevitable rise in product prices. Speaking to reporters in Agargaon, Dhaka, he noted that global transportation systems have been badly affected, while the fuel crisis has worsened the situation.

The minister explained that the impact of the conflict extends beyond energy, affecting all types of goods, food items, and the entire supply system. He warned that price increases in the coming days are certain. Chowdhury added that the government is trying to minimize pressure on citizens as an elected administration but acknowledged that sustaining this effort may become difficult if public funds continue to be strained.

He cautioned that if the government’s financial resources remain under pressure, the ultimate burden will fall on the people, signaling potential economic challenges ahead for Bangladesh.

Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday afternoon at the Prime Minister’s Office to seek high-level guidance on implementing the proposed new pay scale for government officials and employees. Senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office and relevant ministries, including Finance Secretary Dr. Md. Khairuzzaman Mozumder, are expected to attend the meeting.

An interim government had earlier formed a 23-member National Pay Commission led by former Finance Secretary Zakir Ahmed Khan, which recommended a 100 to 140 percent salary increase for government employees. The proposal suggests raising the minimum salary from Tk 8,250 to Tk 20,000 and the maximum from Tk 78,000 to Tk 160,000, requiring an additional Tk 106,000 crore for implementation. A nine-member review committee was also formed on February 8 to examine the recommendations but has yet to begin work due to political changes following the February 12 national election.

The government initially planned partial implementation in the 2025–26 fiscal year, but global economic instability and rising expenses have delayed the process, possibly pushing implementation to 2026–27 in phases.

A study by Tel Aviv University has found that emigration among Israelis has risen sharply in recent years. Between 2023 and 2024, around 100,000 Israelis left the country, which has a total population of about 10 million. The report attributes this increase to insecurity caused by the Gaza conflict and internal instability, as well as the rising cost of living that has pushed some to seek work abroad. Many skilled professionals are reportedly unwilling to endure the ongoing war conditions.

Researchers warned that any additional economic shock—whether political, economic, or security-related—could trigger a sudden surge in emigration, posing a serious risk to Israel’s stability. The situation has been further aggravated by Iran’s retaliatory attacks, which have exposed Israel’s declining ability to intercept missiles and drones, leading to greater damage.

The findings highlight growing concerns about Israel’s long-term resilience as it faces simultaneous security and economic pressures.

Garment workers from Nasa Group staged a protest on Tejgaon Link Road in Dhaka on Sunday, demanding their due wages. The demonstration began after 10 a.m. when around 700 to 800 workers blocked the road between Mohakhali and Nabisco. The blockade caused a complete halt in traffic movement on routes connecting Tejgaon, Mohakhali, and Uttara. The protesters cleared the road around 11 a.m., according to the Gulshan Zone traffic police.

During the blockade, traffic police urged commuters to follow diversions to avoid congestion. They advised using the Elevated Expressway for travel between Uttara and Mohakhali and the Mohakhali Flyover for movement from Uttara, Gulshan, or Banani toward Tejgaon. The disruption lasted for about an hour before normal traffic resumed.

The incident highlighted ongoing tensions over wage payments in Dhaka’s garment sector, though no further details about negotiations or management response were provided in the report.

The United States has rescued a missing crew member of an F-15 fighter jet that was downed in Iran. The operation, conducted overnight under heavy fire, involved hundreds of US special forces personnel and several heavily armed aircraft. According to a report by Al Jazeera, the mission successfully extracted the missing officer from Iranian territory and moved him to safety outside the country. US President Donald Trump confirmed that the rescued officer, a colonel, is now safe and in good health.

The pilot had been missing for two days, while another crew member had been rescued earlier. US forces reportedly monitored the colonel’s location for 24 hours before launching the mission. Trump stated that no American soldiers were killed or injured during the operation, which he described as carefully planned and executed with advanced weaponry.

Iran has not issued any official comment on the incident. However, reports from the city of Dehdasht indicated clashes and airstrikes during the night, with at least four people killed and the death toll possibly higher in later updates.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for shooting down a US aircraft that was engaged in a rescue mission to locate a missing pilot. The incident reportedly occurred in the southern region of Isfahan, according to Iranian state-linked media reports published on April 5, 2026.

Fars News, citing its Telegram channel, shared an image showing thick smoke rising from a field and described the event as a desperate attempt by former US President Donald Trump to cover up a major defeat. The report emerged shortly after Trump announced that the missing crew member had been rescued. The latest claim follows earlier incidents on Friday in which Iran said it had downed two US warplanes—an F-15 and an A-10—in separate engagements. In total, seven US aircraft have reportedly been destroyed in the ongoing conflict with Iran.

The situation underscores escalating hostilities between the two nations, with both sides reporting losses and issuing conflicting statements about recent military operations.

The Israeli military announced on Saturday that it plans to strike an area near the main border crossing between Syria and Lebanon, warning local residents to evacuate immediately. The attack will target the Masnaa crossing, which Israel claims Hezbollah is using for military purposes and weapons smuggling. The warning follows continued Israeli operations across Lebanon since March 2, when Hezbollah joined the Middle East conflict in support of Iran.

A Lebanese security source told AFP that the crossing is being evacuated in response to the Israeli threat. Meanwhile, Syria’s General Authority for Borders and Customs said the crossing, known as Jdeidet Yabous on the Syrian side, is used only for civilian purposes and not for military activity. Syrian authorities have temporarily suspended traffic through the crossing for safety reasons.

The Masnaa crossing is a key trade route between Lebanon and Syria and serves as a vital land gateway for Lebanon. Israel previously struck the crossing in October 2024 during an earlier conflict with Hezbollah, after which it remained closed until repair work began following a ceasefire.