The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has intensified surveillance along the Sunamganj border to curb illegal fuel smuggling amid global instability and fluctuating international fuel prices. Starting Friday morning, March 6, additional checkpoints, special patrols, and intelligence monitoring were deployed across several border areas. Inspections of suspected vehicles have also been reinforced to detect and prevent smuggling activities.

According to BGB, heightened vigilance has been placed at three land customs (LC) points under the Sunamganj battalion’s jurisdiction. The measures aim to stop trucks carrying stones and coal from illegally transporting fuel on their return trips. The commander of the 28 BGB Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel A K M Zakaria Kadir, stated that the force will continue its operations to prevent fuel smuggling and other unlawful activities along the border.

The strengthened monitoring reflects BGB’s ongoing efforts to maintain border security and ensure compliance with trade and fuel regulations in the region.

Four people were arrested by Kalabagan police at Dhanmondi 32 in Dhaka on Saturday morning during a procession marking the March 7 observance. The group of about 30 to 40 people had started their march from Dhanmondi 27 and were heading toward Dhanmondi 32 to place flowers when police intervened. The procession dispersed following the police obstruction.

According to Kalabagan Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Fazle Ashiq, the four detainees—three women and one man—were taken into custody under the Anti-Terrorism Act and later sent to court. The arrests occurred as the group carried flowers during their procession to the historic site.

The report did not include further details about the identities of the detainees or the specific reasons for applying the Anti-Terrorism Act in this case.

The 59th Battalion of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has launched strict fuel inspections on India-bound trucks at the Sonamasjid land port in Shibganj, Chapainawabganj. The initiative began on Saturday amid global fuel instability caused by the ongoing war in the Middle East. BGB teams are measuring fuel levels in trucks entering from India and rechecking them when the vehicles return after unloading goods to ensure no excess fuel is taken back.

Lieutenant Colonel Golam Kibria, commanding officer of the 59 BGB Battalion, stated that the operation aims to prevent any smuggling of Bangladeshi fuel into India. He said the double-checking system will discourage smugglers and help protect national resources. The BGB official added that the inspection campaign will continue regularly in the public interest.

The move reflects Bangladesh’s broader efforts to safeguard domestic energy security and curb illegal fuel outflow during a period of international market volatility.

The body of Kohinur Akter, 30, wife of expatriate Nurul Islam from Ukhia’s Rajapalong Union, was recovered from beneath a lift at Cox’s Bazar District Sadar Hospital four days after she went missing. She had come to the hospital with her sick child and disappeared on March 4 after leaving to buy medicine. Her body was discovered Saturday morning after CCTV footage showed her entering the lift but not exiting.

Hospital officials said she likely fell into the lift shaft when the door opened before the lift arrived. The incident has raised serious questions about the hospital’s safety and surveillance systems. Relatives became agitated after the discovery, prompting police to intervene and restore order.

Law enforcement authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident. The body was sent for autopsy at the hospital morgue, while local residents expressed concern over how a body could remain undiscovered for days inside a busy hospital.

The Islamic University (IU) administration has temporarily suspended two assistant professors and one official following their implication in the murder case of Asma Sadia Runa, chairperson and assistant professor of the Department of Social Welfare. The suspended individuals are Assistant Professors Shyam Sundar Sarkar and Habibur Rahman, and Assistant Registrar Bishwajit Kumar Biswas of Ummul Mu’minin Ayesha Siddika Hall. The decision was announced on Saturday, March 7, 2026, through separate office orders signed by Acting Registrar Professor Dr. Manjurul Haque.

According to the orders, the suspensions were made under Section 15(b) of the university’s service discipline rules after the accused were named in the initial police report filed under Section 154 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The suspension took effect from March 5, 2026, and the individuals will receive subsistence allowances as per university regulations.

The case stems from the fatal stabbing of Professor Runa inside her department office on March 4. Her husband, Imtiaz Sultan, filed a murder case the next day against four people, naming employee Fazlur Rahman as the prime accused. Police have already arrested Fazlur Rahman, who was under treatment in the ICU.

A joint operation by the Department of Narcotics Control and police in Khulna on Saturday led to the arrest of a woman carrying a large consignment of illegal firearms and ammunition allegedly smuggled from India. The suspect, identified as Suraiya Parvin Sumi from Satkhira, was detained during a search on a Khulna–Satkhira road in the Niz Khamar area. Authorities recovered five firearms, including three pistols and two revolvers, along with four magazines and 96 rounds of ammunition.

Officials said the operation was launched based on intelligence that a drug consignment was being transported from Satkhira to Dhaka. During the search, officers first seized 80 bottles of codeine phosphate from two women and later discovered the weapons in another vehicle. Police confirmed that the seized arms had entered Bangladesh through illegal routes from India and were being distributed nationwide for subversive activities.

Law enforcement agencies stated that they have obtained information about the suppliers and intended destinations of the weapons and have begun follow-up investigations based on those findings.

Labour, Employment and Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury has warned that strict action will be taken against those involved in the recent deterioration of law and order in Sylhet city. His remarks came after a series of robbery incidents in the area. Speaking to journalists on Saturday, March 7, 2026, following his participation in a Holi festival event at the Manipuri Rajbari in Mirzajangal, he said that no one responsible for the unrest will be spared.

The minister stated that the Prime Minister has declared a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and extortion, emphasizing that such activities will not be tolerated. He added that the administration has been instructed to arrest the robbers swiftly and bring them under the law, reaffirming the government’s commitment to ensuring a safe Sylhet.

The Holi festival event was presided over by Digen Singh, president of the Academy for Manipuri Culture and Arts, and attended by Sylhet City Corporation administrator Abdul Kaiyum Chowdhury and other guests.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has intensified surveillance to prevent oil smuggling from Bangladesh to India. As part of the effort, fuel tanks of goods trucks arriving from India are being measured before entry into Bangladesh and again before returning to India. The initiative began on Saturday, March 7, at the zero line of the Sonamasjid land port in Chapainawabganj, according to a BGB press release.

The 59 BGB Battalion has set up a special checkpoint to measure fuel tanks and inspect entire vehicles to ensure no illegal transfer of fuel occurs. Additionally, the 53 BGB Battalion has strengthened patrols in border areas, increased manpower at border outposts, and established two extra checkpoints in nearby towns to reinforce anti-smuggling operations.

These measures reflect BGB’s broader strategy to tighten border control and prevent the illegal movement of fuel across the Bangladesh-India frontier.

The 14th Battalion of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has intensified patrols, searches, and intelligence surveillance along the Naogaon border to prevent fuel smuggling. The measures were confirmed in a statement issued on Saturday, March 7, 2026, by Lieutenant Colonel Abdullah Al Mamun, commanding officer of the Patnitala 14 BGB Battalion. Additional personnel have been deployed in the border areas under the battalion’s jurisdiction.

According to the statement, the decision follows instability in the international fuel market caused by ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has raised concerns about global energy supply and price uncertainty. The BGB has increased monitoring of fuel transportation and supply routes to curb illegal cross-border movement.

The battalion also remains alert to prevent illegal crossings, drug trafficking, and other transnational crimes while maintaining law and order in the Naogaon and Joypurhat border regions.

Indian drug syndicates have changed tactics as Bangladeshi law enforcement tightens control over Phensedyl smuggling. According to the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), three new codeine-based syrups—Bronokof C, Choco Plus, and Win Corex—are being produced in at least ten Indian border districts and trafficked into eight Bangladeshi frontier districts. Though some shipments have been seized, the syrups remain largely unrecognized as narcotics, raising concern among authorities.

DNC officials said the syrups contain codeine phosphate, the same addictive ingredient found in Phensedyl, and are being relabeled and exported despite being banned in India. The agency has identified 62 factories and 374 traffickers involved, and plans to formally request India to shut down the production centers. Border Guard Bangladesh has intensified surveillance, but officials admit earlier appeals to India yielded little progress.

Recent intelligence reports warn that Bronokof C is spreading fastest through Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj, while Win Corex is entering through Jessore. Experts caution that the lower price and easy availability of these syrups could worsen addiction among youth if cross-border coordination does not improve.

Three young men were detained and handed over to police after being beaten by locals in Abhoynagar upazila of Jashore. The incident occurred around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday night, March 5, in Gopinathpur village under Shubharara Union. Locals seized a foreign-made 9mm pistol, six rounds of ammunition, and an empty magazine from the suspects. Their motorcycle was also set on fire during the confrontation.

According to Abhoynagar Police Station Officer-in-Charge SM Nuruzzaman, the three detainees are Riaz Sardar alias Surjo Sardar (28), Shakil Sardar (25), and Robiul Molla (23), all residents of nearby villages. Locals said they were conducting a night patrol when they stopped the suspects’ motorcycle for a search. One of the men allegedly tried to flee after showing a pistol, prompting the mob to capture and beat them before handing them to police.

Police recovered the burned motorcycle from the scene and filed a case under the Arms Act against the three detainees.

A passenger bus carrying attendees to a Hindu wedding lost control and fell into a roadside ditch in Bagerhat on Friday afternoon. The accident occurred around 1:30 p.m. on the Barakpur–Polerhat road near Fakir Bari area, leaving several passengers injured.

According to local sources, the bus was traveling from Jashore to the Kalibari area when it veered off the road and plunged into the ditch. Worshippers from a nearby mosque and local residents rushed to the scene and rescued the trapped passengers. Locals said the quick response of the mosque-goers and residents prevented a potentially serious loss of life.

The incident caused brief panic in the area, but the situation was brought under control through prompt rescue efforts.

Police have arrested Fazlur Rahman, the prime accused in the murder case of Asma Sadia Runa, chairperson and assistant professor of the Social Welfare Department at Islamic University. The arrest was confirmed on Friday, March 6, by the case’s investigating officer, Abdullah Al Mamun. Fazlur Rahman, a university employee, is currently under police guard at Kushtia General Hospital’s ICU, where he is receiving treatment for serious injuries. He has provided a written confession to police admitting responsibility for the killing, and doctors have stated that his condition is now stable.

The investigating officer said that police have begun their work following the filing of the murder case and are continuing efforts to arrest the remaining accused. Two of the other suspects are university teachers. The case was filed by the victim’s husband, Imtiaz Sultan, on Thursday morning under sections 302 and 109 of the Penal Code, naming four individuals including Fazlur Rahman. The other accused are former deputy registrar Bishwajit Kumar Biswas, assistant professor Shyam Sundar Sarkar, and assistant professor Habibur Rahman.

Journalists in Kishoreganj formed a human chain on Friday, March 6, 2026, protesting a violent attack on two reporters who were covering news related to the auction at the historic Pagla Mosque. The demonstration took place at Akhra Bazar in the district town, where participants demanded the immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of those responsible.

The injured journalists were Khairul Alam Faisal of Channel 24 and Faizul Islam Bhuiyan Pinku of Global Television. According to reports, a syndicate allegedly involved in buying mosque-donated items at low prices attacked the journalists when they went to gather information. The victims were rescued by mosque Ansar members and taken to hospital. Later, Pinku filed an attempted murder case naming eight individuals and several unidentified others.

Police confirmed that two suspects, Jibon and Mona, have been detained, and efforts are ongoing to arrest the remaining accused. Authorities expressed optimism about bringing all perpetrators to justice soon.

The Islamic University (IU) administration has declared a one-day mourning on Saturday, March 7, following the killing of Asma Sadia Runa, chairperson and assistant professor of the Department of Social Welfare. According to an emergency notice signed by Acting Registrar Professor Dr. Manjurul Haque on Thursday night, the decision was taken after Runa was stabbed to death in her office on Wednesday, March 4, allegedly by an employee of her department.

The notice stated that the university community is deeply shocked by the brutal killing of Asma Sadia Runa. All members of the university have been requested to wear black badges on the day of mourning as a mark of respect. In addition, the university administration organized a prayer session after Friday prayers at the central mosque for the salvation of the deceased teacher’s soul.

The university’s declaration of mourning reflects the institution’s collective grief and solidarity following the tragic incident within its campus.