A mobile court in Sirajganj sentenced a trader named Md. Apon, aged 19, to one month of simple imprisonment and fined him 100 taka for hoarding petrol and selling it at higher prices. The operation took place on Friday evening at the fertilizer-selling establishment M/S Apon Enterprise in Panchthakuri Bazar, where 22 liters of petrol and lubricants were seized.

According to Executive Magistrate Md. Ruhul Amin, the raid was conducted based on complaints that the business was illegally storing and selling petroleum products. Upon finding evidence of illegal stockpiling, the trader admitted his guilt. The sentence was issued under Section 20(1)(a) of the Petroleum Act, 2016. The seized petrol and lubricants were taken into custody by the authorities.

The case highlights local enforcement of petroleum regulations in Sirajganj, aiming to prevent illegal fuel trading and protect consumers from inflated prices.

Police in Chandina upazila of Cumilla conducted a special anti-drug operation over the past 24 hours, arresting eight individuals including drug dealers and users. The detainees were later sentenced to varying jail terms and fines by a mobile court. The operation, led by Officer-in-Charge Atikur Rahman, resulted in the recovery of yaba tablets, cannabis, and drug-use equipment from different areas of the upazila.

Among those arrested, Sajjad Hossain and Shariful Islam were fined 50,000 taka each and sentenced to one day in jail for possessing and using yaba. Md. Dihan received a 15-day sentence, Liton and Manik Bhandari were sentenced to one month each, and Sakil received three months’ imprisonment with fines. Sohel and Rasel were sentenced to five days in jail and fined. In a separate incident, Arif Hossain, 26, was arrested under Section 34 for causing public nuisance in the municipal area.

Police officials stated that anti-drug operations in Chandina will continue.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested two suspects directly involved in the daylight murder of Jubo Dal leader Golam Kibria in Dhaka’s Pallabi area. The arrests of Md Rashed alias Lopan and Jahangir Hossain alias Kallu were made during overnight raids in Rupnagar’s Eastern Housing and Uttara’s Diabari areas. RAB recovered a foreign revolver and three rounds of ammunition used in the killing. The arrests were announced at a press briefing at RAB-4 headquarters in Mirpur on Friday, March 27, 2026.

According to RAB, the murder was planned to maintain political dominance and control over Mirpur’s criminal network. Investigations revealed that the killing was ordered by top criminal Mashiur Rahman alias Mashi, who saw Kibria as an obstacle to his extortion and business operations in the area. Kibria was shot dead on November 17 inside a hardware store in Mirpur-12, an attack that also injured a rickshaw-puller and caused widespread public alarm.

RAB said the arrested shooters had been preparing to flee the country before being captured. Two other named suspects, Pata Sohel and Bukpora Sujon, had been arrested earlier in the same case.

The Road Safety Foundation has reported that 274 people were killed in road accidents across Bangladesh during the 10 days surrounding Eid-ul-Fitr, from March 17 to the morning of March 26, 2026. The organization recorded a total of 342 accidents nationwide. This marks an increase from the previous year, when 249 people died in road crashes over an 11-day Eid holiday period. Major incidents included a bus-train collision in Cumilla on March 21 that killed 12 people and a bus sinking in the Padma River at Daulatdia ferry terminal in Rajbari on March 25 that left 26 dead.

According to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), 92 accidents occurred between March 17 and 23, resulting in 100 deaths and 217 injuries. A police headquarters study found that reckless driving caused 42 percent of the crashes, while unfit vehicles and unlicensed drivers worsened the situation.

Road safety experts emphasized that preventing such fatalities requires banning unfit vehicles, ensuring proper driver training, and establishing modern highway traffic systems.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Lalbagh unit arrested five individuals in connection with a gold theft case and recovered a large portion of the stolen ornaments. The arrests were made on Friday, March 27, 2026, following raids in Hazaribagh, Khilkhet, and Tongi East areas. The detainees were identified as Rozina Akter, Mim Akter, Al-Amin, Kashem Ahmed, and Nahid. Police recovered about eight bhori and twelve ana of gold ornaments from their possession.

According to Lalbagh police, the theft occurred on March 23 at a government officers’ residential area in Azimpur. Domestic worker Rozina Akter allegedly entered the victim’s flat for household work and later disappeared, after which the residents discovered that a box containing gold ornaments weighing nine bhori and eight ana, valued at around Tk 25 lakh, was missing. A case was filed at Lalbagh Police Station, leading to the subsequent investigation and arrests.

Police said the arrested individuals are active members of a theft ring, and legal proceedings are underway. Efforts continue to recover the remaining stolen ornaments.

A vessel named MV Ubon Naree carrying 62,150 tons of wheat from the United States has arrived at the outer anchorage of Chattogram port, marking the second phase of wheat imports under a government-to-government arrangement. The Food Ministry announced the arrival in a press release on Friday, noting that sample testing of the wheat has already begun and unloading preparations are underway.

Of the total shipment, 37,290 tons will be unloaded at Chattogram port and the remaining 24,860 tons at Mongla port. The ministry confirmed that all wheat contracted under the agreements has now reached Bangladesh. Earlier, the first shipment brought in 58,457 metric tons of wheat.

According to the ministry, Bangladesh’s annual wheat demand stands at around 7 million tons, while domestic production is about 1 million tons. The remaining demand is met through imports by both government and private sectors.

A Dhaka-bound passenger bus caught fire on the Jessore-Dhaka highway near Fatepur Daitola in Jessore Sadar upazila on Friday afternoon. Although all passengers escaped safely, their belongings were completely destroyed in the blaze. The incident occurred shortly after 4 p.m. when the Narail Express bus departed from Jessore city’s Monihar counter. Witnesses said the driver stopped the bus immediately after flames erupted from the engine, allowing passengers to evacuate.

Police and fire service personnel arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire, according to Masud Khan, officer-in-charge of Jessore Kotwali Police Station. However, passengers reported that the bus was already fully burned before firefighters arrived. Fire service officials confirmed that a sub-officer was present at the site, but further details were unavailable as he could not be reached by phone.

Some passengers alleged that the bus had mechanical issues before departure and that the driver was reluctant to operate it. The incident caused heavy traffic congestion on both sides of the highway as vehicles were halted following the fire.

The upazila administration of Sreemangal in Moulvibazar conducted a drive on Thursday against illegal storage of LPG cylinders and fuel. The operation was led by Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Islam Uddin and Assistant Commissioner (Land) Mohibullah Akon, with participation from law enforcement agencies, RAB-9, and the Fire Service. During the drive, two establishments were fined Tk 50,000 each for illegally storing LPG gas, and another was fined Tk 50,000 for keeping excess octane and petrol.

Assistant Commissioner (Land) Mohibullah Akon confirmed the fines and stated that such drives would continue. The operation aimed to curb unauthorized storage of flammable materials that pose safety and regulatory risks in the area.

The continuation of these enforcement activities indicates the administration’s intent to maintain compliance with fuel storage regulations and prevent potential hazards in Sreemangal.

A mobile court in Gomastapur upazila of Chapainawabganj fined a filling station for hoarding fuel and not selling it to customers despite displaying a 'no fuel' sign. The operation was led by Upazila Nirbahi Officer and Executive Magistrate Zakir Munshi on Friday afternoon at Messrs Bardas and Sisters Filling Station in Bardadapur area of Parbatipur Union.

During the inspection, the court found 2,368 liters of petrol, 3,760 liters of diesel, and 3,655 liters of octane stored at the station, totaling 9,783 liters. For this offense, the mobile court imposed a fine of 20,000 taka on the establishment.

Executive Magistrate Zakir Munshi stated that fuel sales will be ensured in accordance with government directives and that strict legal action will be taken against any irregularities or attempts to create artificial shortages.

State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salahuddin Tuku has directed authorities to quickly recover nearly seven acres of encroached land belonging to the National Zoo in Mirpur, Dhaka. The instruction came during his unannounced visit to the zoo on Friday, where he entered as a regular visitor by purchasing a ticket. During the inspection, he also ordered immediate improvements in public facilities, including more toilets, expanded seating areas, road repairs, cleanliness, and an increase in the number of animals.

The minister stated that the visit aimed to assess the zoo’s management and environment firsthand. He spoke with zoo officials about animal nutrition, health management, and overall care, and also interacted with visitors to understand their concerns and expectations. He emphasized that visible development work must begin within the current budget.

Tuku noted that while food supply for animals was satisfactory, visitors expected a better environment. He said necessary steps would be taken to make the zoo more organized and visitor-friendly, highlighting its potential as a profitable and attractive public facility.

Police in Chattogram’s Halishahar area faced a prolonged standoff on Friday while attempting to arrest a known robbery suspect. The incident began around noon near the Skyview Tower in the Bashundhara Residential Area, where the suspect, identified as Md. Rubel, fled from police and jumped into a muddy ditch. Despite repeated efforts by police and the Fire Service, Rubel remained trapped for nearly five hours, brandishing a machete to deter arrest.

According to local residents, Rubel’s wife handed him the weapon under an umbrella while police were present. Witnesses said Rubel and his family are involved in drug trading and that he has multiple criminal cases, including robbery and theft. Police officials confirmed his criminal background and said he threatened to harm himself if approached.

Authorities indicated that further operations may be launched later to apprehend Rubel, as immediate arrest attempts were unsuccessful due to safety concerns and the unstable muddy terrain.

The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) has initiated the process for disbursing Boishakhi allowances to MPO-listed teachers and employees across Bangladesh ahead of the Bengali New Year. The electronic fund transfer (EFT) bill submission option has been activated in the DSHE’s software, allowing institutions to submit bills online. This move is expected to ensure timely payments and remove uncertainty for several hundred thousand teachers and staff before the festival.

According to the DSHE’s EMIS Cell, the activation of the online submission system aims to prevent technical complications and guarantee that all eligible recipients receive their allowances on schedule. EMIS Cell programmer Md. Zahir Uddin urged teachers and employees to submit their bills as soon as possible to expedite the process.

While the Boishakhi allowance process is progressing, the proposal for March salaries has not yet reached the Ministry of Education. Bill submissions for March salaries began on Wednesday and will continue until Saturday, after which the verified bills are expected to be sent to the ministry by mid or late next week.

A fire broke out on the ferry ‘Keramat Ali’ anchored at Paturia Ghat No. 4 in Manikganj on Friday evening. The blaze reportedly started from the ferry’s silencer pipe while it was docked. Witnesses said sparks were seen coming from the pipe, causing panic among passengers and crew as smoke spread quickly. The ferry staff managed to bring the fire under control before it could spread further.

After receiving the report, the ghat authorities informed the fire service, whose members later extinguished the fire completely. No major damage or casualties were reported, but ferry operations were temporarily suspended for safety reasons.

Initial assessments suggest that excessive engine heat or a mechanical fault may have caused the fire. Authorities have launched an investigation and will inspect the ferry’s mechanical condition before resuming its operation.

A total of 5,000 metric tons of diesel arrived in Bangladesh from India’s Numaligarh Refinery in Assam through a cross-border pipeline, reaching the Parbatipur railhead depot in Dinajpur late Thursday night. The delivery was confirmed Friday by the depot’s assistant in-charge, who said the transfer took about 60 hours. The diesel was distributed Friday morning to the Padma, Meghna, and Jamuna depots, with Padma receiving 18,500 metric tons.

According to official sources, the pipeline was established under a 15-year agreement signed on October 22, 2017, between Bangladesh and India to ensure uninterrupted fuel supply for irrigation and transport in eight northern districts. The agreement allows Bangladesh to import up to 180,000 metric tons of diesel in 2026. So far, 5,000 metric tons arrived in February and another 5,000 on March 11.

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has proposed importing an additional 50,000 tons of diesel through the same pipeline within the next four months to meet growing demand.

The Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources has announced that individuals providing specific information about illegal fuel stockpiling will receive rewards. The decision, disclosed on Friday, March 27, 2026, aims to prevent an artificial fuel crisis across the country. Vigilance teams have already been formed in all districts to monitor fuel supply and identify illegal storage activities.

According to the ministry, a formal reward announcement will be made soon to encourage citizens to share concrete complaints and suggestions. Field-level operations have begun to curb illegal hoarding, including a raid in Chattogram’s Patenga area where approximately 6,000 liters of diesel stored in 30 drums were seized.

Authorities stated that district administrations are now taking strict measures to maintain discipline in the energy sector and ensure normal supply. All fuel depots, petrol pumps, and traders are under close surveillance, and similar operations will continue regularly in the public interest.