Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Professor Dr. A.Z.M. Zahid Hossain announced that an international-standard DNA laboratory will be established in Dhaka. He stated that with a population of 25 million and a growing number of DNA tests each year, the ministry’s forensic DNA laboratory will be upgraded into a modern facility. The announcement was made during a meeting of the Forensic DNA Laboratory Advisory Council at the National Science and Technology Complex in Agargaon, Dhaka.

The minister said that DNA screening laboratories at divisional levels will gradually be upgraded into fully self-sufficient profiling labs. He noted that the current forensic DNA lab equipment is over 15 years old, significantly reducing efficiency, and emphasized the need for new machines to ensure quality, purity, and accuracy in sample analysis. The ministry plans to integrate all forensic DNA reports into a centralized database under the Directorate of DNA Laboratory Management.

The advisory council also discussed staffing needs, database development, amendments to DNA laws and regulations, recruitment of qualified personnel, and setting analysis fees. Senior officials from the ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office attended the meeting.

A local BNP leader, Juel Amin, has been expelled from the party in Saghata upazila of Gaibandha following allegations of illegal sand extraction. The expulsion was announced on Sunday through a press release signed by Saghata Union BNP President Nazrul Islam Babu and General Secretary Atikur Rahman. The statement cited violations of party discipline and involvement in unethical activities as reasons for the disciplinary action.

Earlier, a report in Amar Desh revealed that trucks carrying illegally extracted sand from the Jamuna River had endangered a flood control embankment built at a cost of about Tk 25 crore. Following the report, police conducted a raid on Friday and detained BNP leader Juel Amin and Awami League leader Sabuj Mia. Both were accused of long-term involvement in illegal sand extraction and trade.

Local residents expressed concern that the activities had placed the riverbank embankment at serious risk of collapse and demanded strict action against those responsible.

A court in Jamalpur’s Melandah upazila has ordered ten leaders and activists of the Awami League and its affiliated organizations, including the president of the local Chhatra League, to be sent to jail. The order came on Sunday afternoon when the accused surrendered before the Madarganj Amli Court and sought bail in a case filed under the Special Powers Act. Judge Romana Akter rejected their bail petitions and directed that they be taken into custody.

According to court sources, the decision followed a hearing in which the court considered the allegations brought against the accused. Those sent to jail include Hossain Ali, Ariful Islam Shawon, Kamrul Hasan Al-Amin, Johurul Islam, Saiful Islam, Maji, Babor Ali, Sujon, Fazil Haque, and Mosaddik Hossain Jewel. Police Inspector (Unarmed) Abul Hossain of the Jamalpur Chief Judicial Magistrate Court confirmed the court’s order, stating that the accused were warrant-listed individuals who had surrendered voluntarily.

The incident has reportedly caused a stir in the local area following the court’s decision.

A five-day multipurpose jute product fair has been organized in Old Dhaka under the patronage of the district administration to mark Pahela Baishakh. The fair, featuring 26 stalls, is being held at the premises of the Dhaka District Commissioner’s Office and will run daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., concluding on Thursday. Dhaka District Commissioner Md. Rezaul Karim inaugurated the event on Sunday.

Following the inauguration, Commissioner Karim invited visitors to explore the creativity of local jute artisans, emphasizing that jute is a part of Bangladesh’s heritage and can be used to produce a wide variety of beautiful products. He urged support for jute-based entrepreneurs to help expand the market both domestically and internationally.

Addressing residents of Old Dhaka, the commissioner said the fair aims to showcase the area’s cultural heritage despite limited open spaces. He added that a colorful rally will be held on Pahela Baishakh to highlight Old Dhaka’s traditions and encourage community participation in the festivities.

In Kushtia’s Daulatpur upazila, the burial of self-proclaimed spiritual leader Shamim Reza, also known as Shamim Jahangir, took place under police supervision on Sunday evening. He had been killed by an angry mob accusing him of insulting Islam and the Holy Quran. The funeral prayer was held at 5:30 p.m. at the South-West Philipnagar graveyard, following an autopsy at Kushtia General Hospital and transfer of the body under army supervision.

Authorities reported that few followers attended the funeral. Some devotees had requested that the burial take place at his residence, but the family, local residents, and administration decided otherwise. The area around his residence remains tense, with police, RAB, BGB, and army personnel deployed to prevent further unrest.

Officials, including the Additional DIG of Khulna Range and the local MP, visited the site and urged calm. As of the report’s filing, no case had been registered and no arrests made. Injured individuals are receiving medical care under police protection.

Iranian authorities on Sunday reaffirmed their defiance toward U.S. demands following failed negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, aimed at ending the ongoing war. Parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the U.S. delegation had failed to gain Iran’s trust, while President Donald Trump announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and threatened further military action. Tehran’s leadership praised its delegation for refusing to eliminate nuclear enrichment or relinquish control over the strategic waterway, urging supporters to maintain their presence in the streets.

Judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei and several hardline lawmakers lauded the negotiating team for defending Iran’s sovereignty and “red lines.” State television blamed Washington’s “excessive demands” for the breakdown of talks, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vowed to respond forcefully to any U.S. naval movements. The Iranian delegation of more than 85 members included senior officials from multiple factions, signaling an effort to project unity.

The talks concluded without progress, and both sides signaled readiness for further escalation. Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to continue diplomatic mediation, while Iran’s government extended online schooling amid economic strain and an ongoing internet shutdown.

FIFA has rejected Iran’s request to move its 2026 World Cup group-stage matches from the United States to Mexico, citing logistical and strategic reasons. The decision means Iran must play its scheduled games on the U.S. West Coast as originally planned. The confirmation came after Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum disclosed that the request had been denied.

Iran’s football federation had sought the change due to political tensions and security concerns following heightened friction between Iran and the United States since February 28. The issue gained further attention when former U.S. President Donald Trump questioned Iran’s participation on social media, prompting Iranian officials to warn they might withdraw if safety could not be guaranteed.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino intervened to calm the situation, meeting Iranian players and officials in Turkey on March 31. He reaffirmed that Iran would compete and that football must remain above politics, with player safety as the top priority. Iran is placed in Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand.

Telenor Group President and Chief Executive Officer Benedicte Schilbred Fasmer met with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday, April 13, 2026. The meeting took place in the Prime Minister’s office at the Cabinet Division of the Secretariat in Dhaka. No further details of the discussion were disclosed in the source.

The report, published by Amar Desh Online, confirmed the meeting as part of the Prime Minister’s official engagements for the day. It did not specify the topics discussed or any agreements reached between the two sides.

Further information about the purpose or outcomes of the meeting was not provided in the source text.

U.S. President Donald Trump has sharply criticized Pope Leo XIV for opposing the ongoing war with Iran. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump accused the Pope of being weak on crime and disastrous on foreign policy. The Pope had earlier urged an end to the Iran conflict, calling it a product of a misguided pursuit of power and warning that civilization could face destruction if peace was not reached.

Responding to Trump’s earlier remarks about Iran, Pope Leo said such threats were unacceptable and raised both legal and moral concerns. Trump countered by saying he did not want a Pope who tolerated Iran’s nuclear ambitions. He further advised Pope Leo to correct himself, use common sense, stop appeasing leftists, and focus on being a great Pope rather than a politician.

Trump also claimed partial credit for Pope Leo’s election, suggesting that Vatican support for the first American-born Pope came due to White House influence during his presidency.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested seven people, including former Jubo Dal leader Moin Uddin, in connection with an extortion case at the Center for Kidney Diseases and Urology (CKD) Hospital in Dhaka’s Shyamoli area. The arrests took place early Monday, April 13, following a case filed by Abu Hanif, the hospital’s operating theatre in-charge, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station. The complaint alleged that Moin and his associates had long demanded Tk 500,000 and threatened Hanif and his wife when they refused to pay.

According to the case statement, the accused later gathered 50 to 60 people outside the hospital, chanting abusive slogans and attempting to create chaos, which disrupted the hospital’s normal environment. Police intervened to bring the situation under control. Following the incident, senior Jubo Dal leaders visited the hospital and met with Professor Kamrul Islam, the hospital’s owner, who described Moin’s repeated intimidation of staff.

Jubo Dal’s general secretary Nurul Islam Noyon stated that Moin was not an active member of their organization and that the party maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward such misconduct.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to visit Bogura on April 20 for a one-day official trip. According to the itinerary, he will arrive at the Bogura District Police Lines helipad by helicopter from Tejgaon Airport in the morning. At 10:45 a.m., he will inaugurate the e-Bail Bond program at the District and Sessions Judge Court premises. At 11 a.m., he will officially announce the inauguration of the Bogura City Corporation.

Later in the day, the Prime Minister will attend a program at Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Degree College field to launch the Family Card distribution initiative and inaugurate the excavation project at Chowkirdah Canal in Bagbari Nashipur. In the afternoon, he will visit Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Village Hospital and spend time at the ancestral home of the late President Ziaur Rahman. After prayers and a break at the Bogura Circuit House, he will depart for Dhaka at 4 p.m.

The visit has generated significant enthusiasm across northern Bangladesh, with local authorities implementing extensive security measures. Senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office will accompany him on this official tour.

Shipping expert Lars Jensen has said that U.S. President Donald Trump’s announced blockade threat will likely affect only a very small number of vessels. According to Jensen, if the United States actually implements such a measure, only limited ship movements would be halted, and the overall impact on global shipping would remain minimal.

Jensen, the chief executive of Vespucci Maritime, explained that Trump’s warning to act against ships paying tolls to Iran would not bring major changes, as those vessels were already exposed to U.S. sanctions risks. He noted that few ships currently use that route, and even fewer pay tolls, meaning the measure’s reach would be narrow.

Jensen added that most shipping companies are expected to monitor the situation initially to see whether any temporary agreements emerge. If such arrangements occur, vessel traffic could gradually increase again. However, he did not confirm whether the route would become safe for navigation, emphasizing that the outcome depends on trust and the durability of any U.S.–Iran understanding.

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it will begin enforcing a naval blockade on Iran starting April 13. According to the statement, all maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports will be halted from 10 a.m. that day, following a presidential directive. The measure will apply to all vessels, regardless of nationality, operating near Iran’s coastal areas in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

The announcement follows remarks by former President Donald Trump, who stated that the United States would impose a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz after talks between U.S. and Iranian representatives in Islamabad ended without results. CENTCOM’s statement, cited by Al Jazeera, confirmed that the blockade will be uniformly enforced on all ships approaching Iranian ports or coastal zones.

The move signals a sharp escalation in U.S.-Iran tensions, with potential implications for regional maritime trade and security, though no immediate response from Iran was included in the report.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that the death toll from ongoing Israeli military attacks has risen to 2,055 as of April 13, 2026. The ministry stated that at least 6,588 people have been injured since the operation began on March 2. The strikes have continued across various parts of Lebanon, intensifying the humanitarian situation in the country.

Experts cited in the report warned that the continuing conflict could lead to further casualties and a deepening crisis. The rising number of deaths and injuries has raised fears of a worsening humanitarian disaster as the violence shows no sign of abating.

The report, sourced from Al Jazeera, highlights growing concern over the escalating conflict and its impact on civilians, with calls for urgent measures to prevent further deterioration.

The United States military has announced a blockade of all Iranian ports, set to take effect on Monday. The decision follows an earlier declaration by President Donald Trump to impose a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. According to a statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM), the blockade will apply to all vessels attempting to enter or leave Iranian ports, covering the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. However, CENTCOM clarified that freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz will not be restricted for ships bound for non-Iranian ports.

The announcement marks a partial softening of the US stance compared to Trump’s earlier threats to block the entire strait and target ships paying tolls to Iran. Following the blockade declaration, US crude oil prices rose by 8 percent to $104.24 per barrel, while Brent crude climbed 7 percent to $102.29.

Since February 28, when the United States and Israel launched joint attacks, Iran has maintained control over the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy transport.