The Bangladesh Jewellers Association (BAJUS) has announced another reduction in gold prices ahead of Eid. In a notice issued on Thursday, March 19, 2026, the association lowered the price of 22-carat gold by 7,640 taka per bhori, setting the new rate at 264,625 taka. The revised prices took effect from 10 a.m. the same day. BAJUS stated that the adjustment was made due to a decline in the local market price of pure gold.

According to the new pricing, 21-carat gold now costs 250,368 taka per bhori, 18-carat gold 214,618 taka, and traditional gold 174,785 taka. The last price adjustment occurred on March 14, when BAJUS reduced the price by 2,683 taka per bhori. So far this year, gold prices in Bangladesh have been adjusted 44 times, with 26 increases and 18 decreases. In 2025, the market saw 93 adjustments, including 64 increases and 29 reductions.

The latest price cut reflects continued volatility in the domestic gold market as BAJUS responds to fluctuations in pure gold prices.

A police officer went missing after a speedboat sank following a collision with a passenger launch named Karnaphuli-12 on the Meghna River in Lalmohan, Bhola. The incident occurred around 8 p.m. on Wednesday near the Mangal Sikdar launch terminal. The missing officer, Md. Fakhrul, was stationed at the Sikdar Police Investigation Center in Lalmohan and is a resident of Bakerganj, Barishal. Five others, including three police constables and two fisheries department staff, were injured in the accident.

According to eyewitnesses, the team was conducting an operation to enforce a government fishing ban when their speedboat malfunctioned and drifted into the river. The launch, arriving from Dhaka, was unloading passengers at the time. The drifting boat was pulled under the launch by the current, and when attempts were made to move it, the propeller’s whirlpool overturned the vessel. Most passengers swam to safety, but Fakhrul went missing.

Lalmohan Police Station’s officer-in-charge Md. Oliul Islam said a rescue operation is underway to locate the missing constable and that legal measures will follow.

Recovery work for the derailed coaches of the NilSagar Express in Santahar, Bogura, was completed on Thursday morning. The derailment occurred near Bagbari in Adamdighi upazila, about two kilometers north of Santahar, on Wednesday afternoon. Following the incident, the assistant station master of Santahar was temporarily suspended, and a four-member investigation committee was formed. Station officials said partial train operations could resume by noon, while full service on the Ishwardi-Parbatipur route might take another four to five hours.

According to local accounts, the train driver allegedly failed to heed signals and was driving at high speed, leading to the derailment. Panic among passengers caused some to jump from the train roof, resulting in injuries. Fire service units and local residents jointly carried out rescue operations, sending 50 to 60 injured passengers to nearby hospitals. Four fire service units participated in the rescue, and a relief train from Ishwardi Junction was dispatched to lift the nine derailed passenger coaches.

Train movement in the northern region was halted for several hours but was expected to gradually return to normal later in the day.

Tourist destinations across Bangladesh are gearing up for a surge of visitors during the upcoming Eid holidays. From the hills of Rangamati to the beaches of Cox’s Bazar and the tea gardens of Sylhet, resorts and hotels are reporting high booking rates. The Rangamati Tourism Holiday Complex has already booked 80 percent of its rooms for March 22–28, while Cox’s Bazar expects over one million visitors. In Sylhet, 60–70 percent of hotel and resort rooms are already reserved as tourists plan to enjoy the region’s waterfalls, hills, and tea estates.

Tourism operators are decorating sites and expanding services to welcome travelers. In Rangamati, special Eid meals and cultural foods will be offered, while in Cox’s Bazar, popular spots such as Inani, Himchari, and Marine Drive are being prepared for heavy crowds. Authorities in Sylhet have strengthened security with tourist police and local administration support.

Additionally, the government is launching the Carnival Cruise from Shimulia to Ilisha on March 19, offering a new river tourism experience with modern facilities and entertainment, aimed at boosting domestic tourism.

Police in Ramu, Cox’s Bazar, have arrested brick kiln owner Shafiul Azam, also known as BK Azam, for allegedly brandishing a firearm and threatening staff at a petrol pump near the Morichya BGB checkpoint. The arrest took place late Wednesday night following reports of the incident, which occurred on Tuesday when Azam allegedly raised a shotgun and caused a disturbance at the pump.

According to the petrol pump manager, Nurul Haque, Azam demanded fuel beyond his allocated quota. When Haque refused to supply extra fuel outside the government’s rationing system, Azam reportedly threatened him with the shotgun and created chaos at the site. The manager later filed a written complaint with the local police station.

Ramu Police Station Officer-in-Charge Monirul Islam Bhuiyan stated that authorities took the matter seriously after it was reported in the media and have initiated legal action. Police have also seized Azam’s licensed shotgun as part of the investigation.

Fuel shortages continued across Dhaka on Wednesday, with long queues forming at many petrol pumps despite the government’s withdrawal of the rationing system and assurances that supply would normalize. Field visits to areas including Khilkhet, Airport, Uttara, Mohakhali, and Moghbazar showed that nearly half of the filling stations had suspended operations, while others faced heavy demand and long waiting times. Many drivers reported spending hours searching for octane, with some returning home empty-handed.

Petrol pump owners said fuel was being prioritized for long-distance buses ahead of Eid, leaving private vehicle owners with limited supply. The Bangladesh Petroleum Dealers, Agents, and Petrol Pump Owners Association blamed poor coordination between the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) and the ministry for the ongoing disruptions. BPC officials, however, denied any shortage, attributing the problem to panic buying triggered by misinformation and the ongoing Middle East conflict.

The government had earlier imposed and then lifted fuel rationing due to global instability. Despite official claims of sufficient reserves, the situation on the ground remained strained, with consumers facing significant inconvenience.

Ahead of Eid, Dhaka’s markets are witnessing heavy crowds as consumers rush to buy essentials like semai, sugar, meat, and spices. Field visits show that prices of polao rice, edible oil, chicken, beef, and several spices have increased, while onion, vegetables, and fruits have become cheaper. Traders report that semai and sugar prices remain mostly stable, with sugar selling at Tk 100–105 per kg and local sugar at Tk 140.

According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), sugar prices are lower than last year, but soybean oil, palm oil, lentils, cloves, and broiler chicken have become costlier. Broiler chicken now sells for Tk 220–230 per kg, up from Tk 170–180 a week earlier, while beef prices have risen to Tk 800–850 per kg. In contrast, egg prices have fallen to Tk 90–100 per dozen, and vegetable prices have dropped due to reduced demand as many residents leave the city for Eid.

Retailers also report a shortage of bottled soybean oil, with limited supply forcing customers to buy larger bottles. Fish prices have increased by Tk 20–30 per kg amid lower supply before Eid.

Civil rights icon Dolores Huerta has publicly accused her late colleague and labor leader Cesar Chavez of sexual violence, joining several other women who shared similar experiences. In a statement released Wednesday, Huerta said she decided to speak out after being contacted for a New York Times investigation that uncovered allegations of abuse involving minors as young as 12. Huerta, now nearly 96, said she had kept silent for six decades to protect the farmworker movement she helped build with Chavez, who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association and died in 1993.

The New York Times report included accounts from multiple women describing sexual abuse by Chavez, including Huerta’s claim that she was manipulated and later raped by him, resulting in pregnancies she kept secret. Other women, including Ana Murguia, Debra Rojas, and Esmeralda Lopez, also described assaults or coercion by Chavez when they were minors or young adults. The United Farm Workers, which evolved from the organization Chavez co-founded, announced it would not participate in Cesar Chavez Day events and pledged to create an independent reporting channel for survivors.

Lawmakers from both parties called for Chavez’s name to be removed from public honors, describing the revelations as shocking and a betrayal of civil rights values.

Oil analysts are increasingly warning that crude prices could surge toward $200 a barrel as the conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran disrupts global energy flows. Since the February 28 attacks on Iran, Brent crude has climbed above $100 and reached nearly $120 by March 9. An Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gasfield on March 18 and subsequent Iranian attacks on regional energy facilities have further tightened supply. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, only limited shipping continues, and emergency stockpile releases have failed to offset a daily shortfall estimated at 10 million barrels.

Experts told Al Jazeera that the duration of the strait’s closure will determine how high prices climb. Some Middle Eastern crude benchmarks have already exceeded $150, and Iran has warned that $200 oil is possible. The International Monetary Fund estimates that sustained price increases would raise global inflation and slow growth. While some analysts see $200 as plausible, others argue that rising production from countries such as the US and Brazil, along with alternative pipelines, could moderate prices.

If the disruption persists, analysts caution that oil above $150 would heavily strain the global economy, affecting inflation, employment, and industrial supply chains.

Oil prices surged more than 5 percent on Wednesday following an Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gasfield, intensifying the ongoing United States-Israeli war on Iran. Brent crude rose to $108.66 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude climbed to $98.65, widening the price gap between the two benchmarks to its largest since May 2019. Iranian state media reported that facilities linked to the South Pars field, the world’s largest gasfield off Bushehr province, were attacked.

In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatened to target oil and gas infrastructure in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, raising fears of further energy supply disruptions. Later, Qatar reported a fire at its Ras Laffan gas facility following an Iranian missile strike, though authorities said it was contained. The conflict has disrupted oil and gas exports across the Middle East, halting most shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, which handles 20 percent of global oil and LNG supplies.

The Trump administration responded by issuing a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act to ease domestic fuel transport and authorizing certain transactions involving Venezuela’s PDVSA. Meanwhile, Iraq resumed oil exports after reaching an agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Asian stock markets fell sharply on Thursday following coordinated attacks on natural gas facilities in Qatar, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, which deepened turmoil in global energy supplies. Japan’s Nikkei 225 and South Korea’s KOSPI dropped nearly 3 percent, while Brent crude futures surged more than 4 percent to above $112 a barrel, the highest in over a week. The attacks came amid the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing disruptions to Gulf oil and gas exports.

Qatar reported significant damage to its main LNG export facility at Ras Laffan Industrial City after Iranian missile strikes, while its state-run QatarEnergy confirmed fires and further damage at several other sites. The UAE suspended operations at its Habshan gas facility and Bab oilfield after intercepting Iranian missiles, and Saudi Arabia said it thwarted drone and missile attacks on its own energy infrastructure. The escalation followed Iran’s pledge to retaliate for Israeli strikes on its South Pars gasfield.

Analysts warned that even limited physical damage could prolong supply disruptions. The conflict, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, has already driven oil prices up more than 50 percent.

Five passengers were injured when a bus of Ekushey Paribahan lost control and overturned at Kabirla area in Burichang upazila of Cumilla on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway around 11:20 p.m. on Wednesday. Locals said the seriously injured were taken to Eastern Medical College Hospital. The bus was traveling from Dhaka toward Cumilla at the time of the accident.

Kalbela newspaper’s chief reporter, Yusuf Arefin, was among the injured and is currently receiving treatment at Mainamati Cantonment General Hospital. A Chandina Fire Service officer said the bus remained on the road and would be removed using a wrecker. Highway police confirmed that there was no major traffic congestion, except for a brief disruption caused by vehicles entering the wrong lane.

Highway Police Superintendent Shahinur Alam stated that the process of removing the overturned bus was underway and would be completed shortly. Police and fire service personnel were present at the scene to manage the situation.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has forecast rain, thunderstorms, and possible hail across the country during the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr, expected to be observed on Friday or Saturday depending on the moon sighting. Meteorologist Dr. Omar Faruq said that rainfall is likely throughout the next five days, with heavier showers expected on Friday and Saturday. However, he noted that continuous rainfall is unlikely, and precipitation will occur intermittently in different regions.

According to the department’s latest bulletin, an extension of a low-pressure area lies over West Bengal and adjoining regions, while the seasonal low remains over the South Bay of Bengal. This system may cause temporary cloudy skies, rain, and gusty winds of 40–50 km/h in Dhaka and surrounding areas. The forecast also indicates rain and thunderstorms in all eight divisions, with chances of hail in some places.

Meteorologist Dr. Abul Kalam Mallik added that thunderstorm activity may intensify between March 20 and 21. The department advised the public to remain cautious during the storm-prone period.

A collision between two passenger launches at Sadarghat terminal in Dhaka on Wednesday evening left one man dead and a pregnant woman seriously injured. The deceased was identified as Sohel, 22, while the injured woman, Reba, 20, is from Barishal. The accident occurred around 5:30 p.m. when one launch, while boarding passengers, was struck from behind by another vessel. Fire service personnel rescued the victims and sent them to Mitford Hospital, where Sohel later died.

Police and fire service officials said the situation was quickly brought under control after initial panic among passengers. The injured woman remains under treatment at the hospital. Authorities have begun investigating the cause of the collision and stated that legal action will be taken if negligence by the launch operators is found.

According to police, the incident happened as passengers were boarding for a trip to Barishal’s Kashipur. The investigation is ongoing to determine responsibility for the fatal crash.

Global oil prices rose sharply after Iranian media reported an attack on a facility at one of the world’s largest natural gas fields. On Wednesday, Brent crude oil climbed to $108.60 per barrel, marking a five percent increase compared to Tuesday’s level. The report also noted that gas prices in the United Kingdom rose by nearly six percent following the news.

The incident has drawn renewed attention to energy market volatility linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The Iranian report did not specify the extent of the damage or identify the perpetrators of the attack. The price surge reflects market sensitivity to potential disruptions in global energy supply.

The situation underscores ongoing instability in the region’s energy infrastructure, which continues to influence global oil and gas markets amid heightened uncertainty.