Shibbir Ahmed, UN, New York: Bangladesh has reaffirmed its commitment to multilateralism, UN peacekeeping and international cooperation during a visit by a delegation from the United States Army War College to the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations today.

Welcoming the delegation Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury underscored the country’s longstanding engagement with the UN, rooted in its constitutional commitment to international peace and security. He noted that Bangladesh remains one of the largest contributors to UN Peacekeeping Operations, with Bangladeshi peacekeepers serving with distinction in some of the world’s most challenging conflict zones.

The Ambassador briefed the delegation on the activities of Bangladesh’s Permanent Mission including its engagement to build on its legacies in peacekeeping, sustainable development, women empowerment and climate justice. Reaffirming Bangladesh’s strong support for the United Nations, Ambassador Chowdhury stressed that dialogue, compromise and consensus-building remain essential to addressing contemporary global challenges and strengthening international cooperation.

DHAKA – A delegation of Chevron Corporation today paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The delegation met the Prime Minister at his Cabinet Division office in the Bangladesh Secretariat here this afternoon, said Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman.

Chevron Corporation’s Base Assets and Emerging Countries (BAEC) Division President Javier La Rosa and Chevron Bangladesh President Eric M Walker were among the delegation members.

Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku, Prime Minister’s Adviser for Finance and Planning Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir and State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit were present at the meeting.

ISHWARDI, Pabna – Fuel loading has begun at the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) that paves the way for the start of experimental production at the country’s first nuclear power plant in Pabna’s Ishurdi Upazila. The uranium loading began at the first unit of the plant after 3:30pm today and the authorities said they need 21-30 days to complete the process through which the country enters the nuclear era.

“Authorities have begun loading of uranium (fuel) into the reactor of the first unit of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) for generating electricity,” said former project director Dr Shuwkat Akbor. “Fuel loading process will require around 21-34 days to complete. With this, production process of power plant has begun,” he said.

Initially, one percent of electricity will be generated, and later it will be two percent to 30 percent with an expected initial production of 300 MW of electricity, said a technical expert engaged in the plant said. The electricity is expected to be added to the national grid between late July and early August this year. Fakir Mahbub Anan, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Information Technology and Science and Technology, said all activities are being carried out according to the international standards.

“Safety is the first priority of Bangladesh. This nuclear power plant will further advance the historic relations between Dhaka and Moscow,” he while inaugurating the fuel loading ‘Physical Start-Up of Unit-1’ of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant at the project site. He said that after completion of fuel loading and others technical processes 300 MW of electricity will be commercially generated from the first unit by end July or first August.

“It will be possible to complete the whole process in stages and go into full-scale production by December this year or early next year (2027), he said. Prime Minister’s Advisor on Posts and Telecommunications Division, ICT Division and Ministry of Science and Technology Rehan Asif Asad said, “Today is a significant day for Bangladesh. Bangladesh has taken a step forward in terms of technology.”

Alexey Likhachev, Director General of the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, Rehan Asif Asad, Adviser, Posts and Telecommunications Division, ICT Division and Ministry of Science and Technology and Md Anwar Hossain, Secretary of Ministry to Science and Technology spoke on the occasion. Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) sent a video message.

“Today, Bangladesh has joined the group of nations that use peaceful nuclear energy as a reliable source of sustainable development. Undoubtedly, the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant will become a key element of the country’s energy system. For Rosatom, this project marks another important step in the development of the global nuclear industry and in strengthening friendly relations with our international partners. We are pleased to work together with our Bangladeshi friends in building a modern and reliable nuclear power plant and see strong prospects for further cooperation,” said Alexey Likhachev.

According to the agreement, Russia provided uranium as main fuel of the unit of the plant. Russia will also supply fuel for the entire plant. According to project details, once the Rooppur project is completed, the plant will be operated by the Nuclear Power Plant Company of Bangladesh or NPCBL. It said that manpower structure and training have been provided by Russia. Initially, the power reactor will be commissioned under Russian operators while Bangladeshis will be as collaborators and gradually take over the leadership after three years.

Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation – Rosatom’s Engineering Department constructed the RNPP with Russian Economic and Technical Assistance. The construction work is being carried out through a general agreement with the Russian Federation. Earlier, a survey agreement was signed in 2013 and a construction agreement was signed in 2015. The construction cost of the project has been estimated at $12.65 billion, with two units having a total of 2400 MW generation capacity.

The project is being implemented by Russia’s latest technology III+ VVER 1200, among the most advanced reactor designs. The key safety systems including active safety systems, passive safety systems, five layers systems and core catcher. Each unit has a generating capacity of 1200 MW. The lifespan (production time) of this power plant is 60 years. After that, this capacity will be extended for 20 years and 20 years so electricity can be generated from this project for 100 years, according to project experts.

The construction work of the first unit of this project has been completed, in which the production process has started through fuel loading. The construction work of the second unit is still ongoing and is expected to be completed by the end of next year.

Dhaka: Security has been beefed up at all airports across the country, including Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, following an intelligence alert over possible extremist attacks on key installations. Airport sources confirmed on Monday that surveillance has been intensified at sensitive points, particularly at Shahjalal International Airport. A warning letter issued by the Bangladesh Police headquarters prompted authorities to take immediate precautionary measures.

Following the alert, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh issued a high-level warning, instructing all law enforcement units operating at airports to strengthen security arrangements. Officials said additional personnel—both in uniform and plain clothes—have been deployed, while intelligence monitoring has been increased. Security checks at all arrival and departure points have also been tightened, with instructions to report any suspicious activity immediately.

A senior official at the airport said that although no specific threat has been identified, precautionary steps have been taken in advance. “Instructions have been given to strengthen security at all airports. This is part of our routine preparedness as well,” the official said.

He added that airports with limited nighttime operations have also been instructed to enhance security during night hours, and strict monitoring is being ensured at all entry points to prevent any lapse. The alert follows intelligence information suggesting that a banned extremist outfit may be planning coordinated attacks on key state installations.

According to an internal letter issued by police headquarters and signed by DIG (Confidential) Kamrul Ahsan, several individuals linked to the outfit have recently been in regular contact, raising concerns of a potential threat.

The letter also mentioned that two dismissed army personnel were reportedly in communication with a detained extremist suspect, Istiak Ahmed Sami, also known by aliases Abu Bakkar and Abu Mohammad. Potential targets listed in the alert include the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, as well as police and military installations, places of worship, entertainment venues and other key infrastructure.

Law enforcement officials said the group may attempt to carry out attacks using various methods, prompting heightened concern over national security. In response, police headquarters has directed all relevant agencies to strengthen security in vulnerable areas, enhance surveillance and improve intelligence coordination to prevent any potential incidents.

Tampa, Florida: The roommate of a USF doctoral student who went missing last week along with his friend has been charged with two counts of murder, authorities announced April 25. Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, is facing two counts of premeditated murder in the first degree with a weapon for the deaths of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27, the Hillsborough County Sherriff’s Office said.

Abugharbieh was arrested at his family’s Tampa home April. 25 following a standoff with authorities that resulted in the SWAT team’s assistance, but the charges did not include murder. Earlier in the day, the body of Zamil was discovered on the Howard Frankland Bridge. Bristy’s body has not been located.

“Evidence was presented to the State Attorney’s Office, resulting in further charges against Abugharbieh,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “At this time, the search for Bristy continues.”

In addition to murder, Abugharbieh is charged with domestic violence, tampering with evidence and unlawfully holding or removing a dead human body. He was interviewed by detectives April. 23, and after initially talking, he ended the interview and left. That was the same day authorities upgraded the case from missing to endangered.

Authorities were called to Abugharbieh’s family’s home for a domestic dispute about 9 a.m. April 24. Investigators were able to get relatives safely out of the home. Abugharbieh then barricaded himself inside and the SWAT team was called to assist. After about 20 minutes, Abugharbieh emerged from the home with his hands raised wearing no shirt and a blue towel around his waist.

“This is a deeply disturbing case that has shaken our community ad impacted many who were hoping for a safe resolution,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “While the discovery of Zamil Limon’s remains is heartbreaking, I want the public to know that our detectives are working tirelessly and relentlessly to uncover the truth.”

Limon and Bristy were last seen the morning of Thursday, April 16. A family friend reported both of them missing shortly before 5 p.m. April 17 after not being able to reach either of them. Both University of South Florida Police Department and Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office documented and processed missing persons reports. Limon was pursuing a degree in geography, environmental science and policy while Bristy was studying chemical engineering.

Both families described Limon and Bristy as hardworking, dedicated, responsible students and said it was unusual for both to go days without talking to family members. They both had summer trips planned to their home country of Bangladesh. Abugharbieh is a U.S. citizen who previously took classes at USF from 2021 to 2023, according to a university spokesperson. He does have a criminal record including a 2023 charge of batter and burglary. Also that year, a relative filed two domestic petitions against him.

Salma Akter Sharmin: Amid a nationwide measles outbreak, concerns are mounting over continued transmission inside hospitals and homes, as shortages of beds and inadequate isolation facilities are forcing infected and uninfected children to share wards, leading to new infections. Health experts say measles, caused by a highly contagious virus, can infect 12 to 18 unvaccinated people through a single infected case.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), one death from measles was reported in the last 24 hours, while four more suspected deaths were recorded during the same period. A total of 1,170 new suspected cases were identified in the last 24 hours.

From March 15 to April 23 (8:00am), suspected cases have reached 28,334, of which 4,059 have been confirmed as measles. So far, 18,845 patients have been hospitalized with suspected and confirmed infections, while 15,728 have recovered and been discharged. Since the outbreak began, 39 confirmed deaths and 194 suspected deaths have been reported.

Data from Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Hospital shows that 426 patients received outpatient care in the last 24 hours, while 100 were admitted. A total of 436 patients are currently undergoing treatment at the facility. One death was reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths at the hospital to 12. So far, 2,107 patients have been admitted there.

Hospitals, including the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Mohakhali and other public and private facilities, are currently facing severe bed shortages. As a result, patients with highly contagious diseases such as measles and chickenpox are being treated in shared wards, contributing to hospital-based transmission, with new infections emerging among already admitted children.

A similar case has been reported in Chapainawabganj, where a one-and-a-half-year-old girl, Tahmina, was initially admitted with fever and later diagnosed with pneumonia. Her family said she developed measles symptoms after being exposed to infected patients in the same ward. Her condition deteriorated, and she was referred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital and later to Dhaka Shishu Hospital. However, due to a lack of available beds, she is currently receiving treatment at DNCC Hospital.

Public health expert and vaccine specialist Dr. Md. Tajul Islam Bari said measles patients must be strictly isolated. “Whether in hospital or at home, isolation is mandatory. If patient numbers are high, additional beds or even temporary arrangements such as tents should be used,” he said, adding that failure to isolate patients accelerates transmission.

Doctors at DNCC Hospital said transmission from one patient to another within healthcare facilities is known as cross-infection. They added that infections are also spreading rapidly within families, creating what they described as a chain of transmission.

Dr. Shreebas Pal, consultant at the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Mohakhali, said measles, chickenpox, and mumps are all highly contagious diseases. Due to heavy patient loads, maintaining proper isolation is often not possible, leading to rapid spread of infection. He added that around 10 percent of patients admitted for other conditions are found to have contracted measles during treatment.

In response to the worsening situation, the Health Services Division has instructed all public hospitals to increase bed capacity. In a directive issued on Thursday (April 23), signed by Dr. Abu Hossain Md. Moinul Ahsan, Director (Hospitals and Clinics) of the DGHS, hospitals were instructed not to turn away any measles or suspected measles patients due to lack of beds. Instead, hospitals have been directed to arrange additional beds or alternative facilities where necessary.

Dhaka: Activists of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) assaulted two Ducsu office-bearers inside Shahbagh Police Station on Thursday evening. The victims are Ducsu Secretary for Literature and Cultural Affairs Musaddiq Ali Ibne Mohammad and Social Welfare Secretary AB Zubair.

Eyewitnesses said JCD activists went to the police station to file a case against Dhaka University student Abdullah Al Mahmud, whom they alleged was linked to Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) and had made a Facebook post they considered offensive. The group had earlier announced the move.

At the same time, Abdullah Al Mahmud also arrived at the police station to submit a general diary over concerns for his personal safety. Musaddiq Ali Ibne Mohammad, A B Zubair, and Fatima Tasnim Zuma accompanied him.

Witnesses said tensions escalated when both sides came face to face inside the station, leading to a confrontation between Ducsu representatives and JCD activists that quickly turned violent. Around 20 to 30 JCD activists then attacked Musaddiq and Zubair inside the police station, assaulting them separately, according to eyewitness accounts.

JCD leaders, however, claimed Musaddiq triggered the violence by attempting to strike a joint secretary of the Chhatra Dal’s Dhaka University unit. Senior JCD leaders later intervened and moved the two Ducsu leaders to a secure area inside the police station.

Witnesses also said a group of activists chanted slogans inside the station for around 20 minutes, demanding that the Ducsu leaders be handed over to them. Senior leaders later dispersed the group from the premises, though they remained gathered at the gate for some time.

Later in the evening, Ramna Zone Deputy Commissioner Masud Alam escorted A B Zubair and Fatima Tasnim Zuma to Shahbagh police station Jame Masjid around 9 pm after they were taken to safety.

TEHRAN – Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday that their naval forces stopped two ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz and directed them to the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic.

“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval force this morning identified and stopped in the Strait of Hormuz two violating ships,” the Guards said in a statement.

“The two offending ships… were seized by the IRGC’s naval forces and directed to the Iranian coast.”

They identified one ship as “MSC-FRANCESCA”, which they said belonged “to the Zionist regime” in reference to Israel, and the other as “EPAMINONDAS”, which they said was “tampering with navigation systems and jeopardising maritime security.”

The Guards further warned against any action against the regulations imposed by the Islamic republic in the strait “as well as activities contrary to the safe passage” through the waterway.

Tehran has said vessels must seek permission to leave of enter the Gulf through Hormuz, through a route that in peacetime accounts for a fifth of the world’s oil and gas exports along with other vital commodities.

Legendary Indian playback singer Asha Bhosle, whose versatile voice defined generations of music lovers, has died in Mumbai. She was 92.  Her son Anand Bhosle confirmed the news, saying: “She is no more. Her last rites will be held at 4pm tomorrow at Shivaji Park in Mumbai.”

According to family sources, Asha Bhosle was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai on Saturday (April 11) after suffering from extreme exhaustion and a chest infection, her granddaughter Zanai Bhosle earlier wrote on X.

Known for timeless hits such as “Piya Tu Ab To Aaja”, “Kajra Mohabbat Wala”, “Rangeela Re” and “Dil Cheez Kya Hai”, Bhosle would have turned 93 on September 8 this year. She began her playback career at the age of 10, singing “Chala Chala Nav Bala” for the 1943 Marathi film “Majha Bal”. Over the decades, she became one of Indian cinema’s most versatile voices, equally acclaimed for cabaret numbers, ghazals and classical compositions. Initially typecast for dance numbers, she later earned critical acclaim for songs such as “Dil Cheez Kya Hai” and “Tora Man Darpan Kehlaye”.

The younger sister of legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle was part of the iconic Mangeshkar family, including sisters Usha Mangeshkar and Meena Mangeshkar, and brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar. She often spoke about comparisons and rumours of rivalry with Lata Mangeshkar, saying the bond between them remained strong despite public narratives.

Throughout her career, Bhosle lent her voice to leading actresses across generations, including Sharmila Tagore, Asha Parekh, Rekha, Urmila Matondkar, Karisma Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. In 2000, she received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, followed by the Padma Vibhushan in 2008. She also won two National Awards for “Umrao Jaan” (1981) and “Ijaazat” (1988).

Even in her later years, Bhosle remained active, performing live concerts and engaging with fans on social media platforms. She last recorded a Hindi film song in 2022 and released a single, “Saiyaan Bina”, at the age of 91. In 2023, she celebrated her 90th birthday with a live concert in Dubai, saying music was her “breath”. “People die when they stop breathing. For me, music is my breath,” she said in an earlier interview.

Asha Bhosle married Ganpatrao Bhosle at 16 and had three children. The marriage later ended in separation. She later married music composer Rahul Dev Burman. The couple did not have children together. She is survived by her son Anand Bhosle.