German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has sharply criticized the United States and Israel over the ongoing war with Iran, calling the conflict 'completely unnecessary.' Speaking on April 26, 2026, Merz said the war is fueling instability worldwide and increasing tensions across Europe, Asia, and the United States.

He emphasized that only a united Europe can effectively address emerging global challenges. Merz stated that he and the heads of state and government from the 27 European Union countries held a two-day meeting to discuss how to deal with the Iran conflict and other major challenges facing the region.

The chancellor added that Europe must adapt to the changing global situation and accept the new economic realities, however difficult they may be.

The Bangladesh Parliament has officially formed a special committee to recommend measures for addressing the country’s power situation. The proposal to establish the committee was made by Chief Whip Nurul Islam during Sunday’s parliamentary session and was approved through a voice vote. The committee has been given a 30-day mandate to submit its recommendations.

Earlier, on Thursday, both the ruling and opposition parties reached an agreement on forming the committee following a proposal from the Leader of the Opposition. Each side nominated five members, making a total of ten. The committee is chaired by State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, and includes Deputy Minister Anindya Islam Amit, Whips ABM Ashraf Uddin and Mia Nuruddin Ahmed Apu, ruling party member Moinul Islam Khan, and opposition members Saiful Alam, Nurul Islam, Md. Abdul Baten, Abul Hasnat, and Mohammad Abul Hasan.

The committee’s formation reflects a bipartisan effort to identify actionable steps for improving the national power situation within a defined timeframe.

Panchagarh district recorded 53 millimeters of rainfall in the past 24 hours, accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds that began overnight and continued as light rain until noon. The weather disrupted normal daily activities across several areas of the district.

In Atwari upazila, a tea worker named Sohrawardi was killed by lightning while working in a tea garden, and two other workers were injured. According to Jitendranath Roy, acting officer of the Tentulia Weather Office, the rainfall was caused by monsoon activity that brought dense cloud cover over the region.

The weather office indicated that the current rain belt may persist until the first day of the next month, with the possibility of heavier rainfall across the district.

Member of Parliament for Chattogram-12 (Patiya) Enamul Haque Enam told students that having a clear life plan is essential for success. Speaking on Saturday evening at Haidgaon High School in Patiya, he said the message ‘I have a plan’ should inspire students to set and achieve their own goals. The event included the inauguration of a new school gate, financial aid for orphaned students, lifetime donor honors, a parents’ gathering, an annual prize distribution, and a cultural program.

Enam emphasized that while people can share many things in life, knowledge cannot be shared in the same way, and education is the only path to building a developed nation. He said creating aware and educated citizens is vital to freeing the country from drugs and terrorism. During the event, he also pledged to repair a nearby road.

The program was chaired by school committee president Sukanta Talukder, with head teacher Shyamal Kanti Dey delivering the welcome speech. Several local dignitaries and guests attended the ceremony.

Dr. Mizanur Rahman, a Jamaat-e-Islami Member of Parliament, personally tasted hospital food to assess its quality at the Bholahat Upazila Health Complex in Chapainawabganj. The inspection took place around noon on Sunday, following the monthly meeting of the hospital management committee.

During the meeting, participants discussed the overall operations of the hospital, including improving patient care, ensuring the availability of medical equipment and medicines, maintaining cleanliness, and confirming regular attendance of doctors. Dr. Rahman emphasized the need for sincere efforts from all concerned to enhance healthcare services and highlighted the importance of coordinated initiatives to deliver quality healthcare to the public.

The meeting was attended by the Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Shovon Pal, Officer-in-Charge Abdul Barik, Social Services Officer Nasim Uddin, local Jamaat leaders, and other committee members.

Iran has executed a man convicted of attacking security forces, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency. The executed individual, identified as Amer Ramesh, was arrested during an anti-terror operation in southeastern Iran and later found guilty on multiple charges, including armed rebellion, bomb attacks, and ambushes on military personnel.

Authorities stated that Ramesh was a member of the Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl, which operates in Sistan-Baluchestan, one of Iran’s poorest regions. The area has long experienced violent clashes between security forces and various armed groups.

The execution underscores ongoing instability in Sistan-Baluchestan, where security operations and militant activities continue to challenge state control.

Mongla Port in Bagerhat has achieved record progress in container handling following the launch of new anchorage facilities. According to port authorities, from July 2025 to April 15, 2026, the port handled 25,250 TEUs of containers through 39 foreign container vessels, surpassing the 21,456 TEUs handled in the previous fiscal year. The import of reconditioned vehicles also remained strong, with 9,160 cars imported on 22 ships during the same period.

Cargo handling reached 10.818 million metric tons, and the port is expected to meet its annual target of 15 million metric tons within the current fiscal year. On February 16, 2026, three new operational anchorage berths were inaugurated at Hiron Point, allowing vessels up to 200 meters long and with a 9-meter draft to anchor and operate efficiently. Successful trial operations have already been completed with 39 commercial ships.

Port officials expect the total number of vessels docking this fiscal year to rise to between 860 and 870, compared to 830 last year, reflecting the growing capacity and efficiency of Mongla Port.

Police in Tongi, Gazipur recovered the bodies of a father and his teenage son early Sunday. The father, Sohel Hossain Darji, 55, was found dead on a nearby railway track, while his 17-year-old son, Sakib Hossain Darji, was discovered on the floor of their home. Both were residents of the Bonmala area in Dattapara. Following the discovery, police detained Sohel’s elder son, Sohan Darji, 30, for questioning.

According to relatives, Sohel had been living with his family in a tin-shed house in the Bonmala area for several years. Sohan reportedly called his aunt before dawn, claiming that someone had killed his father and brother. Locals found Sakib’s body bloodied inside the house and Sohel’s body on the railway line. Police later sent both bodies to the morgue at Tajuddin Medical College Hospital.

Investigators have collected CCTV footage from the area for analysis. Locals suspect that the victims were tortured before being killed, but police have not yet confirmed the cause of death.

The Begum Rokeya University Journalists’ Association (BEROBISAS) held a human chain on Sunday afternoon at the university’s media premises to protest the recent attack on members of the Dhaka University Journalists’ Association (DUJAS) by activists of the student wing of a political party at Shahbagh police station. Participants demanded exemplary punishment for those involved and called for ensuring journalists’ safety and a free media environment.

Speakers at the event, including BEROBISAS President Abu Sayeed, General Secretary Kamruzzaman Pulok, and other members, described the assault as a direct attack on press freedom and democratic practice. They urged authorities to identify and prosecute the attackers swiftly. Kamruzzaman Pulok termed the incident a blatant attempt to silence the free press, while Abu Sayeed emphasized that such violence is unacceptable and must be resisted.

Journalists from various print and electronic media outlets joined the protest, reiterating the demand for a secure environment for journalism across all campuses in the country.

A sudden nor'wester storm and heavy rain on April 26, 2026, forced authorities to suspend all ferry, launch, and speedboat operations on the Shibaloy–Kazirhat and Paturia–Daulatdia river routes in Manikganj. The suspension began around 4 p.m. when the storm struck, prompting officials to anchor vessels for safety. Several ferries, including Enayetpuri, Bhasha Shohid Barkat, and Birshreshtha Matiur Rahman, were moored at Paturia Ghat, while others such as Shah Paran and Cumilla were anchored at Daulatdia Ghat.

According to the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), multiple ferries and launches were also secured at Aricha and Kazirhat points. BIWTC Deputy General Manager Mohammad Abdus Salam confirmed that all ferry services on the affected routes were halted from 4 p.m. due to the storm. Launch owner Wasim Akram stated that launch operations were also suspended, and Speedboat Committee President Satyen Kanta Pandit Bhajan reported that about 60 speedboats were stopped for safety.

As of 5:25 p.m., all types of river transport on the mentioned routes remained suspended pending weather improvement.

A Natore court has granted bail to a seven-year-old boy accused in an attempted murder case. The child, dressed in his school uniform, appeared before the Women and Children Court and applied for bail. Judge Muhammad Rafiqul Islam approved the bail on a bond of 500 taka under the custody of a lawyer and summoned the complainant, Shahanur Rahman, to appear on the next hearing date. The court verified the boy’s birth registration and determined his age to be seven years, seven months, and two days, expressing surprise that the police report had listed him as 21.

The defense lawyer stated that the complainant had intentionally misrepresented the boy’s age out of personal animosity. The child’s father said his son was in class during the incident, which the school headmaster confirmed in writing. The complainant later admitted that the age listed in the case was an estimate and declined further comment when informed of the child’s true age.

Police officials said the false age information was provided by the complainant and confirmed that the boy’s name would be removed from the case after investigation.

More than one hundred students became ill after eating school feeding tiffin at Makrampur Government Primary School in Gomastapur upazila of Chapainawabganj on Sunday afternoon. The tiffin distributed under the school feeding program contained eggs. Shortly after eating, many students developed itching and other symptoms, prompting concern among teachers and parents.

Doctors from the Gomastapur Upazila Health Complex provided immediate treatment to the affected students. According to physician Shahidul Islam, most of the children showed signs of allergic skin reactions and were stabilized after receiving prompt care. He suggested that the illness was likely caused by a food-related allergy.

Upazila Primary Education Officer Isahak stated that medical assistance was arranged immediately after the incident and that stricter monitoring will be enforced to ensure food safety in future school feeding distributions.

The platform 'July Unity' has demanded the immediate arrest and trial of those involved in the recent attack on Dhaka University students, two Daksu editors, and journalists. The demand was made at a press conference held on Sunday, April 26, 2026, in front of the National Museum at Shahbagh, Dhaka. Organizer Munshi Kobi Burhan Mahmud read a written statement, joined by other organizers including Fahim Faruqi and Riadul Islam Jubah.

According to the statement, the attack occurred on April 23 inside Shahbagh Police Station when students and journalists went to file a general diary. The group alleged that individuals identifying as members of the Chhatra Dal carried out a planned assault. July Unity leaders accused the police of negligence, claiming officers delayed accepting the complaint and allowed the attackers to act. They also alleged that threats were spread on social media before the incident.

The platform demanded exemplary punishment for the attackers and accountability for the police officers involved, asserting that the assault was politically motivated and aimed at silencing student voices.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to visit Jashore on Monday to accelerate development in Bangladesh’s southwestern region. This will be his first visit to Jashore since assuming office. According to the official itinerary, he will arrive at Jashore Airport at 10:15 a.m. and inaugurate the re-excavation of the historic Ulashi–Jadunathpur canal in Sharsha upazila, followed by a local gathering. Later, he will lay the foundation stone for a 500-bed hospital at Jashore Medical College, visit the Jashore Institute Public Library, and address a large political rally organized by the district BNP at the central Eidgah in the afternoon.

Preparations for the visit have been underway for over a week, with the Special Security Force tightening security and law enforcement maintaining strict surveillance. The Water Development Board is implementing the canal project, while the Public Works Department is responsible for the hospital construction. Local BNP leaders have inspected the rally venue, expecting a large turnout. The Prime Minister will also briefly visit the historic Jashore Club before returning to Dhaka.

The Ulashi–Jadunathpur canal holds historical significance as the starting point of a past national canal excavation program, and its revival has generated strong local interest.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam informed the Bangladesh Parliament that a feasibility study is ongoing for the construction of a second Jamuna Bridge. He said the existing four-lane Jamuna Bridge often faces traffic congestion, making an alternative bridge over the river necessary. The Bangladesh Bridge Authority’s master plan recommends implementing the second Jamuna Bridge by 2033. The minister made the remarks on Sunday in response to a question from ruling party lawmaker Mostafizur Rahman Babul, during a session chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.

Sheikh Robiul Alam stated that three possible alignments are being assessed: one between Sariakandi in Bogura and Madarganj in Jamalpur, another from Balasi Ghat in Gaibandha to Dewanganj in Jamalpur, and a third along another suitable corridor. In response to other parliamentary questions, he also noted that project costs for the Padma Bridge, Karnaphuli Tunnel, and Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway had been revised multiple times, with corruption investigations ongoing at the Anti-Corruption Commission.

The minister further mentioned that under the ADB’s Master Plan 2040, 496.5 kilometers of highways will be upgraded to six lanes and 102 kilometers to eight lanes by 2040.