Students of Barishal University have blocked the Barishal-Patuakhali and Barishal-Bhola highways amid an ongoing hunger strike demanding the removal of Vice-Chancellor (VC) Shuchita Sharmin, causing a traffic congestion. Later, around 10pm, VC Shuchita went live on the Facebook group “Linkers in Barishal University” and answered several questions from the students. However, some students refused to join the Facebook Live and held an emergency press conference at 8:45pm announcing a hunger strike. He said, “Students are on a hunger strike demanding the removal of the vice-chancellor. “If any harm comes to the students on hunger strike, no one will be able to evade responsibility.

Ukranian President Voloydmyr Zelensky speaks during a press conference in the grounds of the Mariinskyi Palace in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 10, 2025. Putin on Sunday proposed direct talks with Ukraine, after ignoring a Ukrainian offer of an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. Ukraine has said it is ready for talks but a ceasefire is needed first, a position supported by its European allies. A senior Russian official, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying Moscow was ready for serious talks on Ukraine but doubted Kyiv's capacity for negotiations. US officials want Russia to agree to a comprehensive 30-day land, air, sea and critical infrastructure ceasefire, a senior US official said.

An average of 300 people die from lightning strikes in Bangladesh each year, with the highest number of fatalities reported in the northeastern districts of Sunamganj, Netrokona and Sylhet. “Awareness, advanced warning systems such as nowcasting and forecasting, and lightning-resistant shelters or homes can significantly reduce fatalities.”On Apr 28 alone, 15 people died in lightning strikes across nine districts. “A typical lightning bolt produces around 300 million volts and 30,000amp, compared to only 120V and 15amp used in most homes.”From 2016 to 2023, Bangladesh recorded about 120 lightning strikes per square kilometre annually. >> While indoors, stay away from rooftops, doors, and windows. >> During lightning, avoid staying under tents, sheds, open-sided structures, or metal-built passenger shelters in open areas.

India's trade minister to lead delegation to US for trade talks, say sourcesA labourer unloads TMT steel bars from a crane inside a steel bar manufacturing factory at Viramgam, in the western Indian state Gujarat, India, Apr 7, 2025. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File PhotoIndia's trade minister Piyush Goyal will lead a trade delegation to the United States starting May 16 to advance trade negotiations, two government officials said on Tuesday, as both countries push for a bilateral trade pact. The United States is India's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade totalling some $129 billion in 2024. India's chief negotiator for the bilateral trade talks with the US, Rajesh Agrawal, will also accompany the minister along with other senior officials, one of the government officials said. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US in February, both nations agreed to work on the first segment of a trade deal by the fall of 2025, aiming for bilateral trade worth $500 billion by 2030.

ERASED FROM THE BALLOT, EXILED FROM THE NATIONFrom 1949 to 2024, the Awami League stood as a pillar of the nation’s identity. The same street where Ganajagaran Mancha once demanded justice for 1971 war crimes now rings with slogans condemning the Awami League. Once, the Awami League banished its enemies. To stem the tide of criticism, the Awami League adopted a new strategy to avoid being elected unopposed in the 2024 elections. Despite numerous questions raised both domestically and internationally over issues like the “night vote” and low voter turnout, the Awami League remained in power.

Trump's surprise offer to join the talks on Thursday in Istanbul came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in a fresh twist to the stop-start peace talks process, said he would travel to Turkey and wait to meet President Vladimir Putin there. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and his German and Polish counterparts were also on the call, according to the readout. There has been no response from the Kremlin to Zelenskiy's offer to meet Putin in Istanbul and Moscow was yet to comment on Trump's offer to join the talks. "Don't underestimate Thursday in Turkey," Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday. Putin called the Western European and Ukrainian demands for a ceasefire "ultimatums" that the Kremlin said on Monday are for Russia an unacceptable language.

The dollar rose, while safe-haven gold prices fell as the news eased - but did not erase - concerns that Trump's trade war could crater the global economy. Trump and his allies hailed the agreement as proof his aggressive tariff strategy was paying dividends, after the US struck preliminary pacts with Britain and now China. Small businesses and truckers were girding for major repercussions from the China tariffs, while American consumers worried about rising costs. Markets shuddered in response, and last month Trump quickly paused most of his "reciprocal" tariffs on dozens of countries, except China. The remaining US tariffs on Chinese imports are still stacked atop prior duties.

Pakistan Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb speaks during a Reuters interview at the 2025 annual IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, US, April 25, 2025. REUTERSPakistan Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb speaks during a Reuters interview at the 2025 annual IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, US, April 25, 2025. REUTERSThe recent military escalation with arch-rival India won't have a large fiscal impact on Pakistan and can be managed within the current fiscal space, with no need for a new economic assessment, Pakistan's Finance Minister said in an interview with Reuters on Monday. The IMF executive board also approved a fresh $1.4 billion loan to Pakistan under its climate resilience facility. Regarding the India-Pakistan conflict, Aurangzeb described it as a "short duration escalation" with minimal fiscal impact, stating it can be "accommodated within the fiscal space which is available to the government of Pakistan".

The Election Commission (EC) has suspended Awami League’s registration after the interim government banned all activities of the party headed by deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina. “Following that, the Election Commission has decided to suspend the party’s registration. The EC introduced party registration rules ahead of the ninth parliamentary election in 2008. The Awami League was registered as party number six, with the boat as its electoral symbol. With the Awami League suspended, 49 parties remain on the EC’s register.

The government has officially issued an ordinance to split the National Board of Revenue (NBR) into two separate entities: the Revenue Policy Division and the Revenue Administration Division. The ordinance allows for the appointment of any “suitably qualified government officer” as secretary of the Revenue Policy Division. It adds that with the dissolution of the NBR, its existing personnel will be absorbed into the Revenue Administration Division. LONG-STANDING PUSH FOR REFORMThe idea of separating revenue policy from revenue administration is not new. In December, the committee submitted a report to the finance advisor recommending the creation of separate divisions for Revenue Policy and Revenue Administration.

Government defends ban on Awami League activities, says it 'does not undermine freedom of expression’The interim government is confident that the notification banning the activities of the Awami League will not impede any political party or individual’s right to free expression. It explained the context of the order, which prohibits all organisational activities of the ousted party. “The notification doesn’t undermine the freedom of expression of any other political party or individual. It doesn’t restrict logical, constructive or legal analysis or opinions about the Awami League or the government’s actions against the party,” the statement read. Quoting sections from the notification, the CAO said: “All activities of the Awami League and its affiliated, associated and like-minded organisations have been banned.

BNP Standing Committee Mirza Abbas has said he noticed “suspicious” foreign nationals arriving in Bangladesh. Speaking at a discussion meeting on Monday, he said: “They’ve been coming on different missions at different times.”Abbas said someone he knew on Facebook had said that the interim government’s misdeeds were “deliberate”. “This is not a people-friendly or patriotic government in any way. Why will questions about my country and its independence arise at all?”He added, “Given the current political situation, it feels like a circus or a drama is unfolding in Bangladesh. But to me, it seems like something more is happening.”“We are not in a good position right now.”

Election Commission meets after ban on AL activities to focus on registrationThe Election Commission (EC) has convened to discuss the registration of the Awami League as a political party after the interim government banned all activities of the party and its fronts until its trial at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is over. The meeting began at 5:45pm on Monday in the office of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin at the Nirbachan Bhaban, or Election Building, in Dhaka’s Agargaon. We are concerned, but we are waiting for the gazette notification to come.”The commission sat for the meeting an hour after the gazette notification was published. Officials said discussions are likely to prioritise revoking the registration of the Awami League, which led Bangladesh’s independence struggle. As a result, the Awami League—one of Bangladesh’s oldest political parties—is currently prohibited from carrying out any political activities or campaigns.

In response to rising demand for medical treatment abroad and increasing associated costs, Bangladesh Bank has raised the foreign exchange limit for such purposes by an additional $5,000. A senior official of the central bank told bdnews24.com, “We regularly receive applications from individuals seeking medical treatment abroad. Should the required amount exceed $15,000, the bank must seek prior approval from the central bank on the customer's behalf. Non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) may convert undeclared foreign currency into local currency at any time upon their return or deposit it into a foreign currency account. There is no limit on the amount of foreign currency that may be brought into Bangladesh, provided it is duly declared through an FMJ form.

The interim government has decided to remove lethal weapons from the police force, which has faced an image crisis due to the indiscriminate use of arms during the July-August protests. After the meeting, he said: “Police will no longer be allowed to carry any lethal weapons. The meeting also discussed the restructuring of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the elite anti-crime force. Later, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) chief Maj Gen Md Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui said that India’s Border Security Force (BSF) had pushed 202 people into Bangladesh over the past few days, five of whom are Indian nationals. The BGB chief added that attempts to send people across the border into Bangladesh are “still under way”.