A violent clash broke out on Monday night between supporters of Chhatra Dal and Islami Chhatra Shibir at the Latif Hostel of Tejgaon Polytechnic Institute in Dhaka. The confrontation, reportedly triggered by a dispute over dominance, left at least nine students injured. The injured, aged between 20 and 23, were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.

According to hospital police sources, several of the injured arrived at the emergency department early in the morning and received primary medical care. Witnesses and related sources said the incident stemmed from longstanding tension between the two groups within the hostel. Authorities intervened to bring the situation under control.

Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) Vice President Sadik Kayem reportedly visited the hospital to check on the injured students.

A Dhaka court has sentenced three people to death and eight others to life imprisonment for the murder of expatriate Shyamal Bepari in Munshiganj Sadar upazila. The verdict was delivered on Tuesday morning by Judge Shyam Sundar of Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal No. 3. Each convict was also fined 25,000 taka, with an additional six months of rigorous imprisonment in case of non-payment. Among the death row convicts are Shahadat Bepari, Ibrahim Bepari, and Jahangir Bepari, while four of the convicted individuals remain absconding.

According to the case, on June 14, 2023, Shyamal Bepari was shot and hacked to death inside his home following a longstanding dispute. His brother filed the murder case with Munshiganj police. After investigation, police submitted a charge sheet against 11 accused in February 2024. The court framed charges in July 2025, and after hearing testimonies from 27 witnesses, the verdict was announced.

The prosecution expressed satisfaction with the ruling, as did the victim’s family members who attended the court. They urged for swift execution of the judgment.

A mobile court in Jaldhaka upazila of Nilphamari sentenced a man named Mrinal Adhikari, aged 25, to three months in jail for selling counterfeit medicines under the name of a reputed pharmaceutical company. The arrest took place on the night of March 3, 2026, when he attempted to sell fake drugs labeled as products of Square Company at Messrs Anindya Pharmacy in Jaldhaka town.

The pharmacy owner, Mahbubur Rahman Moni, informed Square Company’s medical promotional officer, Taslim Alam Khan, who examined the products and confirmed they were counterfeit. Following this confirmation, the matter was reported to higher authorities, and the Upazila Nirbahi Officer and Executive Magistrate, Jayid Imrul Mozakkkin, conducted a mobile court on-site and handed down the sentence.

The incident has caused a stir in the area, with local residents urging the administration to continue such drives against counterfeit medicines to protect public health and ensure accountability in the pharmaceutical market.

Five farmers in Patgram upazila of Lalmonirhat have alleged that toxic chemicals were sprayed on their seven-acre watermelon fields, causing an estimated loss of Tk 3 million. The affected farmers filed a written complaint at the Dahagram Police Investigation Center after discovering the damage. The incident occurred in Sardarpara area of Dahagram union, where the farmers had cultivated hybrid ‘Madhuri’ watermelons on land along the Teesta River.

According to the farmers, they had invested Tk 1.4–1.5 million in fertilizers, pesticides, and other inputs over three months, expecting to earn Tk 3–3.5 million from the harvest. They suspect the act was driven by a land dispute with a neighbor, Abdul Mannan, and his son, who allegedly sprayed herbicide at night. Abdul Mannan denied the allegation. Local agricultural officials inspected the damaged fields on March 1 and confirmed extensive losses.

The upazila agriculture officer advised irrigation and fertilizer use to try to save the remaining plants and said assistance under agricultural incentive programs would be considered. Police stated that legal action would follow after investigation.

Law enforcement authorities in Rangpur have arrested two local leaders affiliated with the BNP’s associate organizations in connection with an attack and death threats against a cable business operator. The detainees are Murad Kayser Mithun, general secretary of the Rangpur district Tanti Dal, and Tamjidur Rashid Galib, assistant secretary of the district Jubo Dal. Police confirmed the arrests on Monday night, stating that Galib was detained by RAB-13 from his home in Kamal Kachna, while Mithun was arrested by the Detective Branch from Nurpur.

The arrests follow a violent incident on Sunday evening at the Cable One office near Rangpur Press Club, where a group allegedly attacked staff and issued death threats over control of a cable feed. The dispute reportedly involved attempts to transfer feed ownership from Awami League councillor Harunur Rashid to Jubo Dal leader Galib. Cable One filed two separate cases with Kotwali police, leading to the arrests. Following the incident’s viral footage, the Jubo Dal central committee expelled Monu and Galib from all party positions.

The case highlights ongoing tensions between political groups over control of local cable feed operations in Rangpur.

The cost of transporting oil from the Middle East to China has reached an all-time high, with supertanker charter rates surpassing 400,000 dollars, according to the London Stock Exchange Group. This rate is nearly double compared to last week, when the United States issued threats of an attack on Iran, BBC Bangla reported.

Iran has reportedly targeted ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway in the south of the country through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply is transported. The largest crude oil carriers, capable of carrying up to two million barrels, are now paying this record freight rate.

The sharp rise in transport costs underscores the growing instability in the Gulf region and its immediate impact on global energy logistics, as tensions around Iran continue to disrupt vital shipping routes.

Bangladesh Railway has started selling advance train tickets ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr holiday. The sale began on Tuesday at 8 a.m. with tickets for March 13 for westbound trains, marking the start of the nationwide ticketing process. According to the railway schedule, tickets for March 14 to 19 will be sold sequentially from March 4 to March 9.

All tickets for Eid travel are being sold exclusively online this year. To make ticket purchases more convenient for passengers, Bangladesh Railway has decided that tickets for intercity trains operating in the western region will be available from 8 a.m., while those for the eastern region will go on sale from 2 p.m.

The initiative aims to streamline the ticketing process and manage the high passenger demand during the Eid travel period, ensuring smoother operations across both regions.

Two senior officials heading key financial and insurance regulatory bodies in Bangladesh resigned on the same day. Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury, chairman of state-owned Sonali Bank, and Dr. M Aslam Alam, chairman of the Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA), submitted their resignations to Financial Institutions Division Secretary Nazma Mobarek. Additionally, Mohammad Zainul Bari, chairman of the General Insurance Corporation, also stepped down. Officials confirmed that the resignations were submitted separately and cited personal reasons.

Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury had previously served as Comptroller and Auditor General and as finance secretary before joining Sonali Bank, where he resigned only a few months into his tenure. Mohammad Zainul Bari, a former secretary, had been appointed chairman of the General Insurance Corporation in September 2024 for a three-year term by the interim government, after earlier serving as IDRA chairman. Dr. M Aslam Alam, a former senior secretary, was appointed IDRA chairman in September 2024 following the July uprising.

The simultaneous resignations leave key financial and insurance regulatory positions vacant, raising questions about upcoming leadership appointments.

Thirteen teachers, officers, and employees of Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur have been accused of securing jobs using fake academic certificates and falsified experience records. All of them are reportedly affiliated with the ruling Awami League. Despite long-standing allegations, no administrative action was taken, prompting the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to open an investigation. The university’s registrar, Dr. Harun Ar Rashid, began verifying documents after media reports exposed irregularities and found significant discrepancies in several employees’ credentials.

According to the registrar’s report, the accused include staff from various departments such as physical education, geography, central stores, and the library. Some allegedly joined as early as 2009 using forged certificates or political recommendations. Senior university officials claimed that the vice-chancellor, Shawkat Ali, ignored the issue and showed favoritism toward the accused. The vice-chancellor denied the allegations, saying the ACC was already handling the matter. ACC’s Rangpur deputy director confirmed that a report had been received and that verification was underway.

The ACC stated that further details would be disclosed after the verification process concludes.

Bangladesh Bank’s latest report shows that default loans in the banking sector dropped sharply in the last quarter of 2025, mainly due to large-scale loan rescheduling and policy support ahead of the national election. Between October and December, default loans fell by Tk 87,298 crore to Tk 557,217 crore, representing 30.60 percent of total loans. Three months earlier, the figure stood at Tk 644,515 crore or 35.73 percent.

Officials said banks typically intensify recovery efforts at the end of the year to improve financial statements, while the central bank’s policy allowed extensive rescheduling. Under this support, Tk 26,114 crore in default loans were regularized. The interim government’s disclosure of the true loan situation after the previous Awami League administration revealed a higher default rate, prompting new measures to reduce it.

Sector-wise, state-owned banks held Tk 146,108 crore in defaults, private banks Tk 389,579 crore, foreign banks Tk 2,984 crore, and specialized banks Tk 18,546 crore. Provision shortfall also declined to Tk 191,441 crore from Tk 344,231 crore over the same period, indicating improved balance sheet conditions.

A seven-year-old girl who was found with her throat slit inside the Botanical Garden and Ecopark in Sitakunda, Chattogram, has died. She passed away early Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in the intensive care unit of Chattogram Medical College Hospital. Doctors confirmed that the child had been raped and sustained severe injuries, including deep cuts to her throat and thighs.

The girl had undergone surgery on Sunday night and was later moved to the One-Stop Crisis Centre, where her condition worsened. Her uncle confirmed her death, saying she had briefly communicated through gestures before her condition deteriorated. Police said she was rescued from a remote hilly area of the park on Monday afternoon and first taken to Sitakunda Upazila Health Complex before being transferred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital.

The victim’s mother filed a case with Sitakunda Police Station on March 1, accusing unidentified persons of abduction and attempted murder. Police stated that the case will now be treated as a murder investigation.

Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) launched a coordinated operation named 'S Drive' at midnight on Sunday to curb terrorism, drug trafficking, extortion, gambling, and juvenile gang activities across the city. The operation was announced publicly half an hour before it began, raising concerns about its secrecy and effectiveness. According to CMP Assistant Commissioner (Media) Aminur Rashid, police recovered a rusted firearm, several knives, shotgun cartridges, and about 400 yaba tablets.

The operation came just hours after masked gunmen armed with heavy weapons fired 20 rounds at the residence of Smart Group Chairman Mostafizur Rahman, evading police security. None of the attackers or major gang members have been arrested. Security analysts said the limited seizures contrast sharply with the scale of the armed assault, suggesting the drive was more symbolic than strategic. They also criticized the lack of intelligence coordination, noting that police appeared unaware of the gang’s movements before the attack.

CMP officials defended the timing and coordination of the operation, but analysts questioned the effectiveness of police checkpoints and intelligence surveillance, as heavily armed criminals moved freely within the city.

Bangladesh Railways has decided to continue selling 25 percent standing (non-seat) tickets in addition to regular seat tickets for the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr travel period. The decision was made to accommodate increased passenger demand during the holiday season. Authorities have instructed that standing ticket holders will not be allowed to travel in air-conditioned or first-class compartments.

The decision came from a preparatory meeting held on Monday at the Rail Bhaban on Abdul Gani Road in Dhaka. The meeting addressed issues such as maintaining law and order, preventing sabotage, and curbing ticket black marketing during Eid travel. It was also announced that mobile courts will be deployed to detect ticketless passengers, stop black market activities, and prevent rooftop travel.

Additional instructions were issued to ensure that ticketless passengers cannot enter major stations like Kamalapur and Dhaka Airport. If any train is delayed, the number of designated seats on platforms will be increased to allow waiting passengers to sit safely.

Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee announced that the government aims to excavate 20,000 kilometers of canals across Bangladesh within the next five years, fulfilling an electoral commitment. He stated that visible progress has already been achieved within days of forming the government and expressed confidence that the target could be met within the current term. The minister made these remarks on Monday in Sripur, Gazipur, after inspecting the historic Chowkka canal and addressing a gathering organized jointly by the upazila and municipal BNP units.

Anee described the canal excavation initiative as a revolutionary movement inspired by former President Ziaur Rahman’s efforts to support farmers. He lamented that many canals had deteriorated due to neglect and encroachment. The minister also noted that agricultural loans of up to 10,000 taka had been waived nationwide, totaling about 1,500 crore taka, to encourage farmers. He emphasized that agriculture remains central to Bangladesh’s economy and that the government intends to create employment opportunities and boost crop production.

Senior officials from the Water Resources Ministry, local BNP leaders, and members of the Water Development Board attended the event.

Bangladesh is confronting simultaneous challenges to its energy security, foreign reserves, and interest rate policy as the Middle East conflict disrupts global energy flows. The ongoing war, uncertainty over Qatari LNG supplies, and drone attacks on Saudi energy facilities have placed the country’s import-dependent energy system under renewed strain. The article identifies three critical policy questions: whether to raise fuel prices, how to manage reserves, and if lowering interest rates is justified during wartime instability.

The analysis warns that direct energy price hikes could trigger a double inflation trap, urging instead a targeted pricing reform to reduce consumption and support efficient production. It highlights the need for strategic reserve management through prioritizing essential energy imports, curbing luxury imports, allowing managed currency depreciation, and securing long-term energy payment plans. The author argues that lowering interest rates during uncertainty may not boost investment but could encourage capital flight and misuse of cheap credit.

The piece concludes that Bangladesh’s stability depends on coordinated energy, monetary, and fiscal policies. It recommends forming a national crisis team of experts to guide sustainable decisions beyond political popularity.