At least 27 people were killed and 106 injured in 37 road accidents on the Cumilla section of the Dhaka–Chattogram highway between March 16 and 26, according to Cumilla Highway Police. The incidents occurred along the 104-kilometer stretch from Daudkandi to Chauddagram, with most crashes linked to reckless driving, negligence, and lack of awareness. One of the deadliest accidents took place on Eid night at Padua Bazar rail crossing, where a train hit a passenger bus, killing 12 and injuring 18.

Experts said that investigation committees formed after such accidents rarely publish their reports, allowing negligent drivers to escape accountability. They emphasized the need for stronger laws and better driver training. The Road Safety Foundation reported 342 road accidents nationwide between March 17 and 26, resulting in 274 deaths, higher than last year’s Eid period.

Local residents accused police of negligence and alleged that excessive three-wheeler traffic and bribery contributed to the unsafe conditions. Officials warned that without stricter enforcement, fatalities on the highway could continue to rise.

Drug trafficking and abuse have reached alarming levels across Rangamati, a hilly border district of Bangladesh. The situation has spread from urban centers to remote villages, with reports suggesting that nearly every locality is affected. Local sources blame years of political patronage and weak administrative action for the worsening crisis. In response, district police have recently launched a special anti-narcotics operation under a zero-tolerance policy.

Investigations indicate that drug trade and use are active in all ten upazilas of Rangamati, with the town area identified as the most vulnerable. The networks reportedly expanded during the last two terms of the Awami League government and further intensified under the interim administration. Drugs are entering through largely unguarded borders with India and Myanmar, allegedly controlled by regional armed groups and local syndicates involving political figures.

Following public pressure and directives from the Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs, police have intensified operations, arresting over fifty suspects since Eid. Authorities say plans are underway to target the key ringleaders behind the narcotics trade.

Bangladesh Police have prepared a preliminary list of 3,849 extortionists across all 64 districts, including 1,254 in the Dhaka Metropolitan area. The initiative aims to curb widespread extortion and bring offenders under legal action. According to police sources, these groups have long collected money from roads, markets, transport hubs, construction sites, and other business areas, often using threats or force against those who refuse to pay.

Police reports indicate that about 90 percent of those listed are affiliated with political parties, frequently changing allegiance with shifts in government. Some of the extorted funds reportedly reach corrupt political leaders and police officers, helping the networks maintain influence. Following directives from the Home Minister, senior police officials have intensified efforts to identify and act against extortionists and armed criminals.

The list is being finalized and will soon be submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs. Verification of political links and the current status of listed individuals is ongoing, with separate lists also being prepared for armed and repeat offenders.

A disturbing recruitment trend has emerged in Chattogram’s underworld, where young men are being sworn into gangs by taking oaths on the Quran. Police say the recruits record short videos of the oath, which are then sent to Dubai for approval by gang leaders. Once approved, the individuals are considered full members. Three people—Abdul Kaiyum Chowdhury Rimon, Monir, and Sayem—were recently arrested, and police recovered firearms, ammunition, and several oath videos.

Officials explained that the Quran oath is not religious but a psychological tool to instill fear and loyalty. Psychologists noted that the process exploits emotional vulnerability, family trauma, and addiction, making recruits mentally dependent on the gang. Former members confirmed that the oath made them feel bound to obey leader Sajjad’s orders without question.

The practice reportedly dates back to the 1990s, when similar methods were used under Nasir’s leadership to ensure loyalty. Sajjad later rose to dominance in the Chattogram underworld, and his group continues to operate with members who view their criminal acts as moral obligations.

A mobile court in Kendua upazila of Netrokona fined a shopkeeper 40,000 taka for illegally storing and selling petrol at inflated prices without a license. The operation took place on Friday evening, March 27, at Rampur Bazar in Ashuzia Union, led by Upazila Nirbahi Officer and Executive Magistrate Md Rifatul Islam. Authorities seized approximately 800 liters of petrol stored in six drums, three of which were full and three partially empty.

The fine was imposed under the Petroleum Act, 2016 and the Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009. The confiscated petrol was ordered to be sold publicly at government-fixed prices at Rampur Bazar on Saturday morning, March 28. The officer-in-charge of Kendua Police Station was instructed to take necessary measures regarding the incident.

According to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer, similar drives will continue in the public interest to prevent illegal fuel trading and protect consumer rights.

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 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.

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.

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.