Fuel and gas supply across Sylhet Division returned to normal on Thursday afternoon after petrol pump and CNG refueling station owners withdrew their indefinite strike. The decision came following a meeting with local administration officials, where assurances were given that business owners would not face harassment. The strike, initially called late Wednesday night, had disrupted fuel distribution across the region.

The meeting, chaired by Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Md. Sarwar Alam, included representatives from the city corporation, police, political leaders, and the owners’ association. The strike had been announced by the Sylhet divisional committee of the Bangladesh Petroleum Dealers, Distribution Agents, and Petroleum Owners Association, citing harassment and extortion complaints. The association’s spokesperson confirmed early Thursday morning that the strike had been officially withdrawn, though communication delays meant some stations resumed operations later.

During the strike, truck and lorry drivers briefly blocked parts of the Dhaka–Sylhet highway in protest against mobile court fines and alleged extortion. Police intervened, and traffic returned to normal around midnight.

French President Emmanuel Macron stated that war or military strikes cannot provide a lasting solution to Iran’s nuclear issue. Speaking during his visit to South Korea, Macron emphasized that military action by the United States or Israel would not permanently resolve the crisis and instead called for diplomatic engagement.

He warned that without a clear framework for diplomatic and technical discussions, the situation could deteriorate again within months or years. Macron also dismissed proposals for a military operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as unrealistic, citing the high risks involved. He noted that such actions would expose vessels in the area to threats from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, which possesses ballistic missiles and significant military capabilities.

Macron’s remarks highlight France’s continued preference for negotiation over confrontation in addressing tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program and regional security.

Senior Supreme Court lawyer Mohammad Shishir Monir stated that the current government is opposing comprehensive reforms and showing double standards in legal interpretations instead of respecting the public mandate. He made the remarks on Thursday at a seminar titled “Government’s Responsibility and Accountability in Delaying Implementation of Public Verdict,” organized by Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir at the National Press Club in Dhaka.

Speakers at the event, including political leaders, lawyers, and student representatives, criticized the government for delaying the implementation of the public verdict and warned of potential political instability. Shishir Monir emphasized that the concentration of state power in the constitution has created a cycle of authoritarian governance and underscored the necessity of the “July Charter” to balance power between the president and prime minister. Other speakers, including AB Party’s Asaduzzaman Fuad and photographer Shahidul Alam, discussed constitutional flaws and the need for national reform.

Participants agreed that continued government delay in implementing the public mandate could lead to renewed political unrest and urged immediate announcement of a roadmap for reform.

NASA has launched four astronauts toward the Moon under the Artemis-2 mission, marking the first crewed lunar journey in over five decades since the Apollo missions. The launch took place on Thursday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at around 6:35 p.m. local time, with a rocket featuring orange and white colors roaring into the sky. The crew includes three Americans and one Canadian astronaut.

Unlike the Apollo missions, the Artemis-2 astronauts will not land on the Moon. During the 10-day mission, they will orbit around the far side of the Moon, flying about 6,400 miles beyond the lunar surface. The astronauts will spend three hours in that region to analyze geological features and capture images. NASA will also monitor their physical and mental conditions after their return to better understand the effects of space travel on humans.

If the mission concludes safely, NASA aims to organize the next lunar landing mission by 2028, paving the way for humans to walk on the Moon again.

A Dhaka court has granted bail to former Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder in a case related to the attempted murder of businessman Imrul Kayes Faisal during the July uprising. The bail was approved on Thursday by Metropolitan Magistrate Arifur Rahman. Deputy Commissioner of DMP’s Prosecution Division, Mia Mohammad Ashis Bin Hasan, confirmed the decision, stating that the defense lawyers had sought bail and the court approved it after a hearing.

According to case details, on July 19, 2024, Faisal participated in an anti-discrimination student movement at the Beribadh area of Mohammadpur, where he was shot and seriously injured. He was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later filed an attempted murder case on September 26, 2024, with Mohammadpur Police Station.

Majumder was arrested by the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police on October 3, 2024, from the Bashundhara residential area and had been in custody since then.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for an attack on an Amazon cloud computing center in Bahrain, describing it as a “first real warning.” The claim was reported by Iran’s state news agency IRNA on April 2, 2026. The IRGC said the strike was a response to recent U.S.-Israeli attacks in Iran that caused extensive damage to private infrastructure. The group warned that if such actions continued, it would take harsher measures in the future.

In its statement, the IRGC said that companies previously identified by the group would face stronger punitive actions if hostilities persisted. It also asserted that the U.S. president would bear responsibility for any destruction of regional assets belonging to these firms. The announcement follows heightened regional tensions after cross-border attacks and retaliatory threats.

Analysts cited in the report suggested that such claims of attacks could further escalate the risk of broader conflict across the Middle East, as both sides exchange warnings and retaliatory actions.

Saudi Arabia is increasingly frustrated with U.S. President Donald Trump’s handling of the Iran war, as his erratic behavior and remarks about Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have strained ties between Riyadh and Washington. Trump’s threats to destroy Iranian power plants, suggestions that Gulf states should bear the war’s costs, and crude comments about the Saudi crown prince during a Miami investment conference have deepened Saudi unease. Analysts say Riyadh, once heavily invested in strengthening its U.S. alliance, now feels disillusioned with the White House.

Experts cited in the report note that Trump’s unilateral decisions and disregard for consequences have alarmed Saudi leaders. The ongoing conflict, initially supported by Gulf states under pressure, has exposed their vulnerability to Iranian missile and drone attacks. Iran has struck key infrastructure across the region, including Saudi refineries and facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has joined regional diplomatic efforts with Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey to push for a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. Observers warn that if Trump ends the war without curbing Iran’s regional threat, tensions could escalate further.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General and former MP Mia Golam Porwar has strongly condemned the government’s decision to increase the prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and autogas in the private sector. In a statement issued on Thursday, he expressed deep concern that the move would negatively affect public life and industrial production.

Porwar stated that LPG is an essential household commodity and that the price hike would severely impact the cost of living, particularly for lower- and middle-income groups. He criticized the government for ignoring citizens’ purchasing power and described the decision as against public interest. He warned that higher energy costs would raise production expenses in medium and heavy industries, potentially driving up the prices of daily essentials.

According to the statement, the retail price of LPG has been raised by 32.30 taka per kilogram, setting the new price of a 12-kg cylinder at 1,728 taka, up from 1,341 taka last month. Autogas prices have also increased by 17.94 taka per liter to 79.77 taka. Porwar urged the government to withdraw the decision and take effective measures to boost imports or production instead.

Bangladesh’s law minister told Parliament that printing previous laws as part of the process to present ordinances issued by the interim government as bills would cost around 1.2 million taka. He said that reproducing the Code of Civil Procedure alone would require about 700,000 taka. The minister made the statement on Thursday after a special committee report was presented in the National Parliament.

He explained that attaching photocopies of entire previous laws with amendment bills would lead to high expenses. To reduce costs, the ministry proposed that lawmakers refer to the relevant laws on the Law Ministry’s website and in the Bangladesh Code. The minister added that the full bill would still be provided, along with a comparative study as requested.

Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad suggested that presenting comparative details of amended sections would help members understand the changes. Opposition leader Shafiqul Rahman noted that without the original bill, comparing amendments would be difficult. The Speaker assured that the specific changes would be clearly presented and explained in Parliament if necessary.

Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed has said that the killing of BNP leader Ilias Ali must not remain unpunished. During a parliamentary session on Thursday, he urged lawmaker Tahsina Rushdir, Ali’s wife, to submit a written notice to the Home Minister if she wishes to seek action regarding the case. The Speaker described the matter as deeply significant and emotionally painful, assuring that both Parliament and the Home Minister would play an important role.

Earlier, government Whip Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu raised the issue under a point of order, citing media reports that alleged Ilias Ali was abducted from Banani, taken to the RAB-1 headquarters, and later killed and dumped in the Dhaleshwari River between March 17 and 20, 2012. He called the incident a crime against humanity and recalled Ali as a colleague and friend.

The Speaker emphasized that the issue is widely discussed across the country and mentioned that similar cases have been addressed by the International Crimes Tribunal, suggesting that justice should be ensured in this case as well.

The Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) has accused the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of inconsistency between its statements and actions regarding the implementation of the July Charter. The allegation was made by AB Party Chairman Mojibur Rahman Monju during a protest rally and procession held on Thursday at Bijoy-71 Square in Dhaka’s Paltan area. The event was organized to protest what the party described as delays over the July Charter and attempts to repeal the Referendum Ordinance.

Senior AB Party leaders, including Dr. Abdul Wahab Minar and Barrister Zobaer Ahmed Bhuiyan, also addressed the gathering. Monju stated that the success of the July uprising depends on the implementation of the July Charter and warned that failure to do so would render the uprising meaningless. He criticized the government for creating constitutional disputes over the referendum and the charter, calling such actions disappointing.

Monju further emphasized that political movements belong on the streets and warned that if hesitation continues over the July Charter, the party will return to the streets to fulfill the aspirations of the July uprising.

French President Emmanuel Macron sharply criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for comments Trump made about Macron’s wife during a private luncheon in Washington. Speaking to reporters in South Korea on Thursday, Macron described the remarks as “neither refined nor dignified” and said they were not worth responding to, signaling his displeasure.

A White House video showed Trump mocking Macron and his wife Brigitte’s French accent and making sarcastic references to a past incident, claiming she treated him poorly. The comments sparked widespread reaction in France, where political leaders denounced Trump’s behavior as unacceptable. National Assembly Speaker Yaël Braun-Pivet called the remarks undignified and irresponsible given the gravity of global affairs.

The controversy emerged amid rising international tensions over Iran and ongoing discussions about NATO’s role, adding further strain to diplomatic discourse between the allies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a phone conversation emphasizing the need to intensify political and diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing war in the Middle East. According to a Kremlin statement cited by Al Jazeera, both leaders stressed the urgency of achieving a ceasefire and pursuing a lasting resolution to the conflict.

The timing of the call is considered significant as Ukraine recently signed an air defense agreement with Saudi Arabia. Ukraine aims to use its experience countering Iranian-made Shahed drones and has proposed supplying cost-effective drone defense technology in exchange for expensive air defense missiles used by Gulf countries.

During the discussion, Putin and the Saudi Crown Prince also noted that the current crisis has disrupted energy production and transportation, negatively affecting global energy security.

Bangladesh’s Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir met with Kazuyuki Kataoka, the Country Representative of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), at the minister’s office in Dhaka on Thursday. The meeting focused on expanding trade and investment and strengthening mutual economic cooperation between Bangladesh and Japan. The minister highlighted opportunities for Japanese investors in special economic zones, infrastructure development, industrialization, and export diversification, emphasizing Bangladesh’s stable economic growth and investment-friendly policies.

Muktadir described the Japan-Bangladesh Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) as a milestone for boosting bilateral trade and investment. He noted that the agreement would serve as a reference for Bangladesh’s future EPA negotiations with other countries. The minister said Japanese investment has already contributed to major infrastructure projects such as the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and the metro rail system. Both sides expressed commitment to further enhance economic ties, with JETRO expected to continue supporting trade promotion and market access for Bangladeshi products in Japan.

A protest meeting organized by Young Women for Development Rights and Climate (YWDRC) and five other organizations expressed deep concern over the recent deterioration of Bangladesh’s child immunization program. The meeting, held on Thursday, highlighted that nearly 400,000 children missed full vaccination and about 70,000 received none due to government negligence, vaccine supply disruptions, shortage of field health workers, reduced international support, and limited access for marginalized communities.

Speakers warned of the resurgence of preventable diseases such as measles and a rising risk of child mortality. Research cited at the meeting indicated that a functioning immunization program could save around 94,000 children annually, a goal now under threat. The keynote was presented by YWDRC Executive Chairman Sultana Nusrat Afroze, with representatives from several partner organizations also addressing the event.

The participants issued six demands to the government, including increased budget allocation, improved vaccine supply and cold chain systems, recruitment and training of health workers, special vaccination campaigns in remote areas, awareness drives to counter misinformation, and stronger coordination with international partners.