Authorities in Lakshmipur exhumed the body of Shahadat Hossain Porash, a former vice president of the district Krishak Dal, nearly 14 months after his burial. The exhumation took place on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at the family graveyard in Terbeki area under Lakshmipur municipality, following a court order for post-mortem examination related to an ongoing case. Executive Magistrate Hasan Muhammad Nahid Sheikh Suman and medical officer Arman Hossain were present during the process.

According to officials, Porash had died on March 7, 2025, in the Mostannagar area of Jorarganj, Chattogram, and was buried the next day without an autopsy. His wife, Shefali Begum Shepu, later filed a criminal complaint on April 9, 2025, at the Chattogram Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, alleging that her husband had been murdered. The court subsequently ordered the exhumation for forensic examination.

Shefali Begum claimed that Porash, who had recently returned from Oman, was carrying about 1 million taka to buy an excavator when he went missing and was later reported dead in a road accident. She alleged that the money was misappropriated and accused a man named Mohon of involvement in the killing.

Iran has executed a man convicted of killing a security officer during the 2022 nationwide protests. The execution took place after the country’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentence in late 2025. The convicted individual, identified as Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, was found guilty of involvement in the killing of security officer Abbas Fatemiyeh during the unrest that followed the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.

According to Iran’s judiciary-affiliated news agency Mizan, Abdollahzadeh had confessed to attacking the officer. However, the human rights organization HRANA, citing a source, alleged that the confession was extracted under torture. The protests in 2022 had spread across Iran after Amini’s death, drawing widespread attention and leading to numerous arrests and trials.

The report did not specify the exact date or location of the execution, and no official comment was included regarding the allegations of forced confession.

A controversy erupted in Feni after Enamul Haque Sujon, the prime accused in the case over the 2017 attack on former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s motorcade, was appointed general secretary of the Ward 4 Jubo Dal committee. Following the announcement of the eight-member partial committee on April 30, six of its members resigned in protest, leaving only the president Mostafa Kamal Badol and Sujon in their positions.

The resigning members include senior vice president Gazi Abdul Kader Nayon, vice president Md Sabuj, joint general secretary Md Millat Hossain, organizational secretary Md Zahid, publicity secretary Saddam Hossain Rubel, and office secretary Dalim Majumdar. Party sources confirmed that the committee was approved by Feni municipal Jubo Dal president Zahid Hossain Bablu and general secretary Haydar Ali Rasel Patowary.

Sujon claimed he was falsely implicated in the case for political reasons, while local Jubo Dal leaders defended him as a dedicated activist. The municipal Jubo Dal leadership stated they were unaware of his legal status and would review the matter before taking further organizational action.

At least three commercial vessels have been hijacked off the coast of Somalia in the past week, reviving fears of piracy in waters once considered secure. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has raised the region’s security risk to “substantial” and advised ships to proceed with caution. The hijackings include the fishing vessel Alkhari-2 on April 20, the oil tanker Honor-25 on April 21 carrying 16,000 barrels of oil with 17 crew from several Asian countries, and the cargo ship Sword on April 26, which remains under pirate control.

Analysts attribute the resurgence to reduced anti-piracy patrols as naval forces are redeployed to address the Iran–US conflict and Houthi unrest in the Red Sea. Rising global oil prices, now exceeding $110 per barrel due to the ongoing wars, have made oil tankers more attractive targets for pirates.

Somalia’s waters were once the world’s most dangerous, causing billions in global economic losses before NATO and EU operations curbed piracy. Experts now warn that those gains are at risk of reversal.

North Korea on Sunday dismissed US allegations that it engages in cybercrime to earn illegal income, calling the claims baseless slander. Pyongyang’s foreign ministry, through a statement published by state news agency KCNA, accused Washington of spreading false information and fabricating cyber threats to damage the country’s image for political purposes.

The United States has long accused North Korea of expanding its cyberwarfare program, allegedly stealing billions of dollars in virtual assets over recent years. The US Department of Justice recently sentenced two American citizens for helping North Koreans secure remote IT jobs at US companies, generating illicit funds for Pyongyang’s weapons programs. Investigations found that more than a hundred American firms, including Fortune 500 companies and a defense contractor, were targeted.

According to UN findings, North Korean cyberattacks since 2017 have stolen over $3 billion in cryptocurrency, reportedly used to finance weapons development. Cybersecurity analysts also reported attempted attacks on widely used software packages linked to North Korean hackers.

The organization 'National Disabled Citizens Power' was launched on Saturday at the Jatiya Press Club’s Zahur Hossain Chowdhury Hall in Dhaka, with the support of the National Citizens Party (NCP). The group aims to establish the constitutional, social, economic, and political rights of persons with disabilities and to build a discrimination-free, inclusive, and dignified Bangladesh. Representatives from political, social, and civic organizations, along with persons with disabilities, attended the event.

Speakers at the discussion emphasized ensuring active participation of persons with disabilities in building a new Bangladesh inspired by the spirit of the July uprising. The proposed committee was announced, led by Ifthekhar Mahmud as convener and Md. Saiful Haque as joint convener. The organization outlined objectives including political empowerment, representation in policymaking, awareness building, and advocacy for accessible infrastructure and services.

An eleven-point demand was presented for inclusion in the upcoming national budget, calling for increased disability allowances, low-interest loans for entrepreneurs, tax exemptions, employment quotas, and reserved parliamentary seats for disabled citizens. The event concluded with a call for unity among all persons with disabilities to join rights-based political and social movements.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Md. Sarwar stated that the political identity of extortionists is not important when taking action against them. Speaking at a press conference at the DMP Media Center on Minto Road on Sunday, he said that anyone involved in extortion will face strict measures once allegations are received.

According to the commissioner, 94 extortionists and another 94 of their associates were arrested in Dhaka over the past two days. He added that new CCTV cameras will be installed to help identify criminals, the intelligence network has been expanded, and community policing is being activated to strengthen crime prevention efforts.

Senior DMP officials, including Additional Commissioners S.N. Nazrul Islam, Md. Shafiqul Islam, and D.C. (Media and Public Relations) S.N. Nasirul Islam, were present at the briefing.

Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) has finalized the schedule for the 2025–2026 academic year’s first-year undergraduate orientation and class commencement. According to a notice signed by Acting Registrar Arif Ahmad Chowdhury and Admission Committee Chairman Professor Dr. Md. Nurul Islam, the orientation will be held on May 9, followed by the start of classes on May 10. The university confirmed that these dates were set as final due to favorable conditions.

The admission process for the 2025–26 session began on February 3, following an online application period from December 2 to 13. RUET offered 1,235 seats across 14 departments under the faculties of Civil, Electrical and Computer, Mechanical, and Architecture and Planning. The admission test took place on January 22 at RUET and BUET centers, with 15,567 of 18,277 applicants participating. Results were published on January 24, with 7,702 candidates passing in Group A and 274 in Group B.

The university conducted admissions in five phases, including document submission, health checks, and an auto-migration system for seat upgrades. Updated information is available on admission.ruet.ac.bd.

The central committee of the Chhatra Dal has announced the full committee for its Cumilla City unit after a year. The announcement was made on Saturday evening through a notice signed by President Md Rakibul Islam Rakib and General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir. The new committee includes 193 members, with 28 vice presidents, 59 joint general secretaries, 45 assistant general secretaries, and 54 assistant organizational secretaries.

Previously, on May 15 of the previous year, a partial committee for the Cumilla City Chhatra Dal had been declared. That committee was led by President Nahid Rana, Senior Vice President Abdul Kalam, General Secretary Fayaz Rashid Primu, Senior Joint General Secretary Armanur Rahman, and Organizational Secretary Ismail Hossain.

Current President Nahid Rana stated that the newly announced full committee will work to strengthen the leadership of Tarique Rahman and develop new leadership within the student organization.

At least 10 people were killed in Israel’s latest airstrike in southern Lebanon, bringing the total death toll to 41 within the past 24 hours, according to Al Jazeera. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that the attacks occurred on Saturday, May 2, and that since March 2 this year, 2,659 people have been killed and 8,183 injured in the country.

The National News Agency said three people were killed in Shoukin town in Nabatieh district, two in a car attack in Kafr Dajjal village, and three more in a house strike in Lwaizeh village. Additional airstrikes were reported near Al-Quds intersection in Nabatieh city and in Siddiqin town in Tyre district.

A ceasefire brokered by the United States between Lebanon and Israel on April 17 has reportedly been repeatedly violated. Israel claims its targets are Hezbollah fighters, while local sources say most of the victims are civilians.

At the inauguration of Notun Kurir Sports-2026 in Comilla on May 2, Comilla-7 Member of Parliament Atikul Alam Shawon did not find a reserved seat and sat in the last chair of the front row. The event took place at the gymnasium of Shaheed Bhasha Sainik Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium, where Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Aminur Rashid Yasin attended as chief guest. The national inauguration was held in Sylhet by Prime Minister Tarek Rahman.

According to the Comilla district administration, all 11 MPs from the district were invited and reserved seats were arranged for them. Some MPs reportedly viewed the lack of available reserved seats as inappropriate. Nezarat Deputy Collector Abdullah Al Nur Ashek said he was busy and did not notice when the MP arrived. Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Saiful Islam explained that due to rain, the event was moved indoors and had already started before the MP’s arrival, which caused the oversight.

Repeated attempts to contact MP Shawon for comment were unsuccessful, as he did not answer phone calls.

The Pakistan cricket team has arrived in Dhaka to play a two-match Test series against Bangladesh. The first group of players landed in the capital following the squad announcement on Sunday morning, though the full team has not yet assembled. Some players remain in Pakistan due to the upcoming Pakistan Super League final and will join the squad after the match.

This Test series is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 cycle, making it significant for both teams. Pakistan’s squad includes four new players, with Shan Masood leading the side. Former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed is set to begin his tenure as the team’s head coach for the Test format.

The first Test will begin on May 8 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, while the second and final Test will take place on May 16 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

The Jhalakathi district unit of the Chhatra Dal has announced a new convening committee after a seven-year gap. The announcement was made on Saturday through a letter signed by central president Md Rakibul Islam Rakib and general secretary Nasim Uddin Nasir. Syed Ali Hasan has been appointed as the convener, while Saidul Islam Roni will serve as the member secretary. The seven-member convening committee has been instructed to form a full committee within one month.

The committee includes senior joint convener Ahmed Salahuddin and joint conveners Zubair Talukdar Mishkat, Keshab Suman Sarkar, Tawhid Hossain, and Md Mobinul Islam Saddam. The last district committee of the Chhatra Dal was announced in June 2018, marking nearly seven years since the previous formation.

The announcement follows a series of organizational changes within the party’s local units, signaling renewed efforts to strengthen student political activities in the region.

Saudi Arabia is moving closer to Turkey and Pakistan as tensions rise within the Gulf region. The United Arab Emirates has decided to leave OPEC, while Saudi Arabia is shutting down one of its major foreign sports ventures. Both U.S. allies are navigating a complex separation process and facing pressure from Iran. The developments come a year after President Trump’s Gulf visit, which had inspired hopes for a stable, AI-driven, post-oil future in the region.

The UAE’s withdrawal from the Saudi-led oil cartel marks a new fracture in regional alliances, intensified by the Iran war. While UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed initially sought to avoid conflict, he later supported continuing the fight to prevent Iran’s strengthening. In contrast, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shifted from supporting the war to seeking an exit as economic damage mounted. Qatar, hit by direct attacks, has also struggled to balance ties with the U.S. and Iran.

Washington has chosen not to intervene in the Saudi-UAE split, though senior U.S. officials remain concerned about growing hostility between its key Arab partners.

A devastating fire broke out early Sunday in a four-storey residential building in Delhi’s Vivek Vihar area, reportedly triggered by an air conditioner explosion. The blaze, which began around 4 a.m. on the second floor, quickly spread to the upper levels, killing nine members of the same family, including a one-and-a-half-year-old child. Two others were rescued with burn injuries and hospitalized. Fourteen fire service units reached the scene and brought the fire under control after two hours of effort.

According to East Delhi’s Shahdara Division DCP Rajendra Prasad Meena, the victims’ bodies were recovered after the fire was extinguished and have been identified. Witnesses and local residents claimed the fire started from the AC blast. Between 12 and 15 people were rescued alive from the building.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta described the incident as extremely tragic and expressed condolences to the bereaved families. She said the local administration, fire service, and police were engaged in rescue operations and assured full support to the affected families.