The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has maintained its money escort service to ensure the safe transport of large amounts of cash and gold ornaments within the city. The service aims to reduce the risk of robbery or snatching during the movement of valuable items. DMP has urged city residents, businesses, and financial institutions to use this service for enhanced security.

According to DMP sources, the service provides trained police personnel to escort and supervise the transfer of money or valuables from one location to another. This initiative helps ensure safety during transit and significantly lowers the risk of criminal incidents. Interested individuals can contact the DMP through the provided phone numbers to avail of the service.

DMP spokesperson Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Talebur Rahman stated that citizens should use the service when transporting large sums or valuables to avoid risks. He added that the initiative not only ensures security but also strengthens police efforts in crime prevention.

Sixteen ships carrying refined fuel have arrived at Chattogram Port between March 3 and March 14, 2026, supporting stable energy supply for Bangladesh’s power generation and industrial sectors. Eleven of the ships have already completed unloading, while the remaining five are in the process. Port authorities confirmed that three additional vessels are expected to reach the port in the coming days.

According to port data, three LNG carriers from Qatar—‘Al Zubarah’, ‘Al Jasasiya’, and ‘Lusail’—each unloaded about 62,000 tons of LNG during the first ten days of March. Another vessel, ‘Al Galayel’, arrived on March 12 with 26,165 tons of LNG being transferred to a floating storage and regasification unit. LPG shipments were the most frequent, with tankers from Malaysia and Oman unloading a total of 19,316 tons so far, and more unloading operations continuing through mid-March.

Despite geopolitical tensions in the Strait of Hormuz affecting shipping and insurance costs, port officials stated that operations remain normal this month, ensuring uninterrupted energy supply for power, industry, and households.

Gas extraction has officially started from well number 5 of the Shrikail gas field in Muradnagar, Cumilla. The inauguration took place on Saturday, led by State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit. According to Bapex officials, the well will add 8 million cubic feet of gas per day to the national grid, with an estimated reserve worth about Tk 3,000 crore. Energy and Mineral Resources Division Secretary Md. Saiful Islam attended as a special guest.

During the ceremony, the state minister emphasized that domestic gas production will help reduce import dependency and achieve self-sufficiency. He also stressed transparency and accountability in all operations. Bapex Managing Director Engineer Md. Fazlul Haque stated that gas has been discovered in eight out of 23 exploratory wells drilled so far.

Officials highlighted that the government is prioritizing gas extraction to save foreign currency and strengthen Bapex’s capacity, as imported gas costs several times more than domestic production.

Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury has directed that all industrial factories in Bangladesh must pay workers’ pending wages and bonuses before the upcoming Eid holidays. He issued the instruction during a high-level meeting at his official residence on Bailey Road, Dhaka, aimed at resolving labour unrest in both RMG and non-RMG sectors. The ministry later confirmed the directive in a press release on Saturday.

The minister also announced that lists of vulnerable factories would be prepared and shared with respective Members of Parliament, who will coordinate with factory authorities to ensure timely payments. He instructed officials to engage with banks delaying loan disbursements, including UCBL, Trust, and Premier Bank, to expedite financial support. Chowdhury further urged vigilance against labour leaders inciting unrest and ordered the preparation of a list of absconding owners to prevent disturbances.

BGMEA and BKMEA leaders reported that most factories have already paid February wages and Eid bonuses, expressing optimism that no major labour unrest will occur. The ministry’s secretary suggested creating an emergency fund to permanently address wage and bonus issues.

One of the two units at the Ashuganj Power Plant in Brahmanbaria resumed electricity generation after being shut down due to a fault in the national grid line. The plant authorities confirmed that production restarted around 8:15 p.m. on Friday, March 13, 2026. The outage had occurred earlier in the afternoon when a technical fault disrupted the Ashuganj–Bhulta 400 kV grid line, causing both the 450-megawatt North unit and the 400-megawatt East unit to trip offline.

According to the plant’s executive director for operations and maintenance, the technical team repaired the fault and brought the 450-megawatt North unit back online after nearly six hours of downtime. However, the 400-megawatt East unit will require at least three more days before it can resume operation. In the meantime, gas allocated for the East unit is being used to generate 50 megawatts of power from another unit, which is now supplying electricity to the national grid.

The restoration of one major unit is expected to partially stabilize power supply in the region while full capacity recovery awaits further repairs.

Bangladesh’s Minister of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, is participating in the two-day Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial and Business Forum that began on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. The conference, jointly organized by the US National Energy Dominance Council and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, will conclude on Sunday with the adoption of energy-related recommendations.

The event brings together energy ministers from Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and several Southeast Asian nations including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. Discussions are focused on strategies to build a strong and stable energy system in the Indo-Pacific region, emphasizing reliable, affordable, secure, and dispatchable energy supply.

On the sidelines, Minister Mahmud is expected to hold bilateral meetings with delegations from the United States, Japan, and Brunei, as well as representatives of international private organizations, to attract foreign investment and explore new areas of cooperation in Bangladesh’s energy sector.

More than 300,000 fishermen in Bhola’s Meghna and Tetulia river areas have not received government assistance two weeks after the fishing ban began. The government had pledged to provide 80 kilograms of rice per registered fisherman over two months to support them during the ban, but the aid distribution remains stalled. As a result, many fishermen are struggling to manage household expenses during Ramadan while facing loan pressures from NGOs and local lenders.

The two-month ban, aimed at protecting hilsa breeding, covers about 190 kilometers of river area from Ilisha to Char Piyal in the Meghna and from Char Veduria to Char Rustam in the Tetulia. Around 90,200 fishermen are listed to receive rice under the jatka conservation program, while 16,600 others are eligible for additional food support including lentils and oil. However, none of the promised supplies have reached them even after ten days of the ban.

Bhola’s district fisheries officer, Iqbal Hossain, said the allocated VGF rice for registered fishermen will be distributed soon and that the administration is working to resolve the delay quickly.

Ahead of Eid, allegations have surfaced of excessive fare collection on the Dhaka-Bhanga Expressway, a key route for travelers from 21 southwestern districts. Passengers heading home for the holidays are facing double or even triple fares on both long-distance and local transport. Despite a posted fare list at Shibchar’s Pachchar roundabout, commuters report that controlling inflated fares remains difficult without strict administrative action.

Following the opening of the Padma Bridge, connectivity between Dhaka and the southwest improved significantly, but fare exploitation persists. Shibchar passengers have been particularly affected, with local transport fares previously set at 200 taka now reduced to 170 taka after intervention by the newly elected MP, Sayeed Uddin Ahmad Hanjala. He stated that extortion at Surjanagar and Pachchar stops had forced passengers to pay extra, and that measures were being taken to stop such practices.

Highway police officials said additional patrols will be deployed during Eid to ensure passenger safety and prevent accidents, while maintaining constant monitoring of vehicle speed and order on the expressway.

Industrial police in Chattogram have warned of potential worker unrest in nearly 50 garment factories ahead of Eid, citing concerns over timely payment of wages and bonuses. Although discussions are ongoing under the mediation of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), several factories remain at high risk. Authorities have urged all factories to complete payments before the final working day on March 18.

According to officials, 66 factories were initially marked as vulnerable, including 25 BGMEA members. The government has announced a Tk 2,500 crore soft loan to help factories manage wage and bonus pressures, especially those operating under subcontracts. Industrial police report that 17 factories have already cleared payments, while others have pledged to do so soon. BGMEA leaders said 12 to 15 member factories still face difficulties, but efforts are underway to resolve them.

Law enforcement agencies are on alert to prevent any attempt by opportunistic groups to exploit potential unrest. Authorities believe that ensuring fair loan distribution and timely payments will help avert major disruptions in the export-oriented garment sector.

Global financial markets have turned volatile following the launch of joint U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran. The U.S. stock market has been hit particularly hard, losing more than $2 trillion in value over the past two weeks. The benchmark S&P 500 index, which tracks the performance of major American companies, fell again, closing 0.61 percent lower at 6,632.19 points—its lowest level so far in 2026 and about 5 percent below its recent peak.

The index had closed at 6,878.88 points on February 27, the day before the attacks on Iran began, marking a 3.6 percent decline since then. Analysts estimate that the drop has wiped out roughly $2.2 trillion in market capitalization from S&P 500-listed firms. Rising oil prices and uncertainty surrounding the Iran conflict have heightened investor anxiety, leading to widespread selling pressure.

Because the S&P 500 is closely tied to pension and investment funds, the ongoing market instability could also affect ordinary investors across the United States.

Iran is exporting significantly more oil than usual despite the ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Associated Press journalist Inzamam Rashid. He reported that around 1,000 ships remain anchored near the strait’s entrance, including about 200 oil tankers. Rashid told Al Jazeera that the strait is one of the world’s busiest waterways, typically carrying about 20 percent of global oil supply, or roughly 20 million barrels per day. However, he noted that this normal flow has not been observed for about nine days, and most of the few tankers that managed to pass were used for Iranian oil exports.

The Joint Maritime Information Center has warned that the threat level in the waters surrounding the Strait of Hormuz is currently at a “critical” stage. The organization issued this alert based on its latest risk assessment. Rashid emphasized that under these conditions, Iran is exporting “much more oil” than before.

The situation underscores heightened tension in a key global energy corridor, with maritime security risks remaining severe.

Two large units of the Ashuganj Power Station Company in Brahmanbaria were shut down on Friday afternoon following a fault in the national grid line. The incident occurred around 3 p.m. when a loud noise was heard, leading to the shutdown of the 400 MW North and 400 MW East units. As a result, approximately 550 megawatts of electricity supply to the national grid was reduced.

According to the plant’s technical division, Ashuganj Power Station had five active units producing about 750 megawatts before the fault. The company’s Executive Director (Technical), Engineer Md. Abdul Majid, stated that the issue originated from the Ashuganj–Vulta 400 kV grid line, which caused the two units to trip. He added that the cause of the fault was being investigated and that efforts were underway to restore the units by night.

Due to insufficient gas supply, the two 800 MW-capacity units had been generating around 550 MW before the shutdown.

The United States has temporarily eased sanctions on the purchase of Russian oil and petroleum products to mitigate the global economic impact caused by the ongoing war in Iran, according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. He stated that the 30-day relaxation would not provide significant financial benefits to the Russian government.

In contrast, UK Energy Minister Michael Shanks told the BBC that the United Kingdom would 'in no way' relax its restrictions on Russian oil, warning that such a move could allow Vladimir Putin to further invest in the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin, however, described the US decision as an attempt to stabilize the energy market, suggesting that the move serves the interests of both countries.

The announcement came as oil prices surged above 100 dollars per barrel on Thursday amid threats to halt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest oil transport routes.

The government has announced a five-year plan to excavate and re-excavate 20,000 kilometers of rivers, canals, and water bodies across Bangladesh. As part of this initiative, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate the program on March 16 in Kaharol upazila of Dinajpur district by launching a canal excavation project. Simultaneously, ministers, advisers, the Chief Whip of the National Parliament, state ministers, whips, and members of parliament will inaugurate similar projects in 53 other districts.

According to information from the Planning-3 branch of the Ministry of Water Resources, the program is expected to have a positive impact on agriculture and irrigation, increase agricultural production, and create employment opportunities in rural areas. It will also help raise surface water levels, reducing dependence on groundwater and mitigating drought, floods, and waterlogging.

The initiative aligns with the government’s election manifesto and aims to strengthen water resource management and rural development over the next five years.

The Bangladesh government has resumed formal discussions with a Japanese consortium to operationalize the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The high-level meeting, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the directive of Prime Minister Tareq Rahman, was attended by senior officials from both countries. Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam said the government is optimistic about reaching a mutually beneficial agreement with Japan to launch the terminal as soon as possible.

The meeting focused on key financial and operational issues, including embarkation fees, revenue sharing, and upfront fees for terminal management. State Minister for Civil Aviation M. Rashiduzzaman Millat described the talks as positive, noting that both sides presented their proposals and agreed to continue discussions. The Japanese delegation, led by Takahashi Naoki and Rieko Nakayama, will review Bangladesh’s proposals and submit revised ones soon.

The terminal, 99 percent complete, has faced delays due to disagreements over management and revenue-sharing terms during the interim government. Funded by JICA and involving several Japanese corporations, the project aims to handle up to 16 million passengers annually once operational.