The Cabinet Division has issued an 11-point directive instructing all government offices to conserve electricity and fuel amid the current global crisis. The circular, sent on Thursday to all senior secretaries, divisional commissioners, and deputy commissioners, mandates that air conditioners be set at 25 degrees Celsius or above and that all decorative lighting be avoided. It also calls for responsible energy use by officials and employees across government, autonomous, statutory, and corporate offices.

The directive emphasizes maximizing natural light during daytime, using only half of existing lighting, and switching off unnecessary electrical devices such as fans, air conditioners, and computers when not in use. It further requires that all electrical equipment be turned off after office hours and that energy-efficient devices be prioritized. The use of official vehicles should be limited to save fuel.

The Cabinet Division requested all relevant authorities to ensure that these measures are implemented across their respective offices and agencies to promote national energy conservation.

A Dhaka court has granted a two-day remand for Abdur Razzak Bin Sulaiman Riyad, former leader of the anti-discrimination student movement, in connection with an attempted murder case filed at Gulshan Police Station. The order was issued on Thursday, 5 February, by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md. Sefatullah. The court rejected both remand and bail petitions for three other accused—Presidency University students Md. Riyadul Hawlader, Md. Alif Ahmed Ashiq, and Sayem Shikder—and ordered them to be sent to jail.

According to the case statement, the incident occurred on 26 February at Presidency University, where the accused allegedly attacked student Nirjon Sardar Bandhan following a prior dispute. Riyad is accused of instructing others to assault the victim, who sustained serious injuries. Police arrested the suspects that night, and they were initially sent to jail on 27 February. Investigators later sought a five-day remand, leading to the current court hearing.

The case remains under investigation by Gulshan Police, with further proceedings expected following the remand period.

A meeting at the Ministry of Water Resources discussed the implementation of a nationwide program for excavation and re-excavation of rivers, canals, and reservoirs. The meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister’s Political Adviser Mirza Abbas Uddin Ahmed and attended by Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie, State Minister Farhad Hossain Azad, and other senior officials. It was announced that the Prime Minister will inaugurate the canal excavation program before Eid at Sahapara Canal in Bororampur, Kaharol upazila of Dinajpur, while ministers, advisers, and MPs will inaugurate similar projects in 63 districts.

During the meeting, Mirza Abbas highlighted the historical significance of canal excavation and urged all concerned to work together to accelerate the program. Minister Annie Chowdhury emphasized that the lack of canal excavation over the years has worsened irrigation shortages and waterlogging, increasing public suffering. He assured that the government, as an elected body, will take all necessary measures for public welfare. State Minister Azad noted growing public enthusiasm and said the government aims to excavate 20,000 kilometers of canals over the next five years under a 180-day implementation plan.

Senior secretaries from the Land, Disaster Management, and Local Government ministries, along with the Director General of the Water Development Board, were also present at the meeting.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has forecast rain or thundershowers in five divisions, including Dhaka, by the end of the week. The change in weather is linked to an active low-pressure area over West Bengal and adjoining regions, along with a normal monsoon low over the southern Bay of Bengal. The forecast issued on Thursday, March 5, indicates that from Sunday evening, March 8, scattered rainfall may occur in Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, and Barishal divisions, with the trend likely to continue for 48 hours.

According to the department, skies across the country may remain partly cloudy over the next 24 hours, with a slight rise in both day and night temperatures. Friday’s weather is expected to remain mostly dry nationwide. On Saturday, daytime temperatures may drop by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius, while nighttime temperatures could rise slightly.

The agency added that light rain or thundershowers could occur again on Sunday and Monday in the same divisions, while other regions will likely remain dry. Overall, a tendency for rain or thundershowers is expected within the next five days due to the combined influence of the western low and moisture from the Bay of Bengal.

Bangladesh Bank has fixed the maximum rent rates for bank branches and other business centers across different regions of the country. The directive, issued on Thursday, states that banks will no longer need prior approval from the central bank if the rent remains within the prescribed limits. However, approval will be required if the rent exceeds those limits. Banks can now decide on leasing or renting business premises with their board of directors’ approval, including new contracts or renewals.

According to the circular, if the property owner is a bank director or a related party, prior approval from Bangladesh Bank will still be necessary. Approval will also be required for relocating business centers before the contract expires, or for renting premises for head offices and controlled divisions. The circular instructs banks to follow previous guidelines on advance payments, establishment costs, and rent escalation.

The maximum rent per square foot has been set at 104 taka in Dhaka City Corporation areas, with varying rates for other cities and rural areas. Banks must determine rent rationally within these limits, considering location, floor level, and building quality.

China has reportedly instructed its major oil refineries to temporarily suspend exports of diesel and petrol due to supply disruptions caused by the ongoing war in the Middle East, according to a Bloomberg News report published Thursday citing unnamed sources. The directive was said to have been delivered verbally by officials from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) during a meeting with refinery representatives and was to take effect immediately.

The report noted that China, a net importer of crude oil, relies heavily on the Strait of Hormuz for energy shipments, which are currently halted. Last year, 57 percent of China’s seaborne crude imports came from the Middle East, according to data from analytics firm Kpler. Refineries were also told not to sign new export contracts and to negotiate cancellations of finalized shipments. When asked about the matter, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said they were unaware of such a decision.

Bloomberg identified PetroChina, Sinopec, CNOOC, Sinochem Group, and Zhejiang Petrochemical as regular fuel exporters contacted by AFP, though none commented on the reported suspension.

State Minister for Textiles and Jute Md. Shariful Alam announced that closed state-owned jute mills will be reopened gradually under private management. He made the statement during a briefing at the Ministry of Textiles and Jute in Dhaka on Thursday, ahead of National Jute Day. According to the minister, seven mills are already being reopened in phases, while others will follow later under similar arrangements.

He noted that nine leased mills currently employ 7,200 workers, contributing positively to national production and employment. The minister also said that National Jute Day will be observed on March 6, inaugurated online by President Mohammed Shahabuddin. The main event will take place at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium, alongside a nine-day fair on jute and diversified jute products at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy premises from March 6 to 14.

The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reviving the jute sector as part of its broader goal to transform Bangladesh into a modern, democratic, upper-middle-income country with a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2034.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has made it mandatory to use data from the ASYCUDA System’s Business Intelligence (BI) server for determining income tax based on actual information about imported goods and advance income tax payments at the import stage. The directive, issued on March 4 under the NBR’s Income Tax Wing, details procedures for tax officials to access and use the BI server. According to an NBR press release on March 5, the system will be used during tax audits, case reopenings, and corrections of faulty tax orders.

The order specifies that tax commissioners and range officers can log in to the BI server from pre-approved IP-bound computers to collect import-related data. Range officers must record the collected information in a designated register and inform relevant circle officers in writing. Initially, only range officers will have access to the BI server, not the assessing officers directly.

NBR stated that the initiative will enhance transparency, prevent tax evasion, expedite tax case resolution, and improve coordination between customs and income tax departments, marking a new phase in inter-departmental data sharing.

Depositors of five merged Shariah-based banks staged a sit-in in front of Bangladesh Bank on Thursday morning, demanding the return of their deposits and cancellation of a profit reduction decision. The demonstration began around 10 a.m. and included slogans and speeches criticizing the central bank’s previous policy. Law enforcement took strict positions around the area to maintain order.

Speakers at the human chain alleged that a former governor of Bangladesh Bank decided to cut profits on deposits from the past two years, offering only a 4 percent government concession instead. They described the move as inhumane and unfair, claiming many depositors have been unable to withdraw their principal or profits for two years, leaving families in severe financial distress.

Protesters demanded full repayment of deposits with profits for 2024 and 2025 and called for normal banking operations at the unified Islamic bank. They warned that if their demands are not met, they will besiege Bangladesh Bank on March 12.

After remaining closed for four years, the Shahjibazar 330-megawatt combined cycle power plant in Habiganj has resumed partial electricity production. The plant had been shut down since a fire on May 29, 2022, damaged its transformers. Due to a funding delay of about 4.5 crore taka, the government reportedly incurred losses of around 20,000 crore taka during the closure. Following approval of a 111.18 crore taka repair proposal in August 2025, Chinese firm Sepco-111 Electric Power Construction began restoration work and partially restarted one unit on February 27.

Currently, one unit with a capacity of 110 megawatts is supplying 40 megawatts to the national grid. Chief engineer Abdul Mannan stated that output could reach 165 megawatts within the month, potentially saving about 8 crore taka daily. The gas-based plant, inaugurated in 2017 after commercial operation began in 2016, had previously produced power at a significantly lower cost than furnace oil-based generation.

Officials expect the partial resumption to improve the national power supply situation after years of reduced capacity.

Prime Minister Tareq Rahman has reduced half of the lighting and lowered the air conditioning level in his office at the Secretariat to encourage energy conservation. The decision was implemented on Thursday morning, as confirmed by his Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumman. Upon arriving at his office at 9:10 a.m., the Prime Minister turned off 50 percent of the lights and adjusted the air conditioning to 25.1 degrees to reduce electricity consumption.

He also instructed that half of the lights be turned off and the air conditioning level reduced in the Cabinet meeting room. Following his directive, all rooms in his office building immediately adopted the same measures. The Secretariat’s Building No. 1 houses the Prime Minister’s Office and several departments under his supervision.

The Prime Minister urged all ministries, government and private offices, shopping malls, and institutions across the country to use electricity efficiently. He advised people to rely more on natural sunlight during the day by opening curtains and windows instead of using artificial lighting.

A man named Helon Mia, aged 40, died and another person named Ruman Mia was injured while allegedly stealing a tree at the Srigobindapur tea garden in Kamalganj, Moulvibazar, early Thursday, March 5, 2026. Police reported that a group of five to six people attempted to cut down an Akashmoni tree near a lake beside a playground and temple in the garden. The tree fell into the water, creating a loud noise that alerted night guards, who caught one suspect and took him to the manager. Later, a body was found near a house, and the detained person was released.

Police said the cause of Helon’s death would be confirmed after an autopsy. Preliminary assessment suggested he might have died of cardiac arrest while fleeing, as no injury marks were found. The injured person’s location and treatment details remain unknown. Additional Superintendent of Police Raju Ahmed and other officers visited the scene.

Authorities have sent the body to Moulvibazar General Hospital for post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 has set April 9 for delivering the verdict in the murder case of Begum Rokeya University student Abu Sayeed, who was killed during the anti-discrimination student movement in Rangpur. The information was confirmed on Thursday morning. Earlier, on June 30, the tribunal accepted formal charges against 30 accused, including the then vice-chancellor Hasibur Rashid. Testimonies from 25 witnesses, including the investigation officer, were recorded during the trial.

Among the 30 accused, six are currently in custody. They include former proctor Shariful Islam, former assistant registrar Rafiul Hasan Russell, former contractual employee Anwar Parvez, former police assistant sub-inspector Amir Hossain, former constable Sujon Chandra Roy, and banned student organization leader Imran Chowdhury alias Akash.

Abu Sayeed, an English department student and one of the coordinators of the quota reform movement, was shot dead by police on July 16, 2024, in front of Begum Rokeya University. His death sparked nationwide protests that later turned into a mass uprising, leading to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5. Trials for the July–August killings and crimes against humanity are ongoing in two tribunals.

The Jubo Dal central committee has expelled Zahidul Islam, general secretary of Nilganj Union Jubo Dal in Kalapara, Patuakhali, following the death of small businessman Idris Khan after an alleged assault linked to a Facebook post. The expulsion was announced on March 4, 2026, through a press release signed by Minhazul Islam Bhuiyan, assistant office secretary of the central committee. The decision was made by Jubo Dal president Abdul Monayem Munna and general secretary Mohammad Nurul Islam Noyon MP. A murder case has been filed with Kalapara Police Station naming Zahidul as the prime accused.

Police and family sources said Idris Khan had posted allegations against Zahidul on Facebook during the recent national election, which reportedly angered him. Idris was allegedly called to the local Jubo Dal office on February 26, where he was beaten. He later died on March 2 while being taken to hospital after his condition worsened. His body was sent for autopsy and buried in his village.

The incident has sparked widespread reaction in the area, with locals and relatives demanding the arrest and exemplary punishment of those involved. Police said an investigation is underway.

A major explosion occurred on an oil tanker off the coast of Kuwait, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The incident took place about 30 nautical miles southeast of Mubarak Al Kabeer port, resulting in an oil spill at sea. UKMTO confirmed that no fire was reported and all crew members were safe and in good health. The agency also noted that a small vessel was seen fleeing the area following the blast.

Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior later stated that the explosion happened outside the country’s territorial waters, at least 60 kilometers from Mubarak Al Kabeer port. The cause of the explosion has not been disclosed. The incident has raised concerns about maritime safety and environmental impact in the Gulf region.

Authorities have not yet provided further details on cleanup operations or potential disruptions to shipping routes in the affected area.