Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has expressed deep sorrow over the death of Dilara Hafiz, wife of National Parliament Speaker Hafizuddin Ahmed. According to BNP media cell member Shayrul Kabir Khan, she passed away at 1:30 p.m. local time in Singapore while undergoing treatment. Her body is expected to be brought back to Bangladesh tomorrow evening.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Deputy Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal, and Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni also conveyed condolences. In their messages, they prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and extended sympathy to the bereaved family, relatives, admirers, and well-wishers.

Funeral prayers will be held on March 30 at 11 a.m. at the South Plaza of the National Parliament and after the noon prayer in front of the central mosque at the cantonment. She will be buried at the Banani Military Cemetery. Dilara Hafiz had been under treatment at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka before being flown to Singapore on Eid-ul-Fitr day.

US President Donald Trump expressed anger toward NATO for not standing by the United States a month after the start of the Iran war. Speaking at an investment forum in Miami, Florida, Trump said that since NATO countries did not help the US against Iran, America might no longer need to stand by its allies. He questioned why the US should continue supporting partners who did not reciprocate during the conflict.

The United States, along with Israel, decided to launch attacks on Iran late last month without consulting European allies. Many NATO leaders opposed the strikes. According to a source, the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier is expected to be deployed near the conflict zone, though it remains unclear whether it will join or replace existing US carriers in the area. Additionally, more than a thousand troops are being deployed.

The remarks highlight growing tension between Washington and NATO members over military cooperation and strategic alignment following the Iran conflict.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said he believes he is a 'messenger of peace' and wants to be remembered that way. According to a report by the Associated Press published on Saturday, Trump made the remarks when journalists asked how he would like his legacy to be viewed. He responded that he wished to be remembered as a great messenger of peace.

Trump further stated that he truly believes he is a messenger of peace, even though it may not seem that way at the moment. His comments reflect his personal view of his role and how he wants history to record his presidency.

The report did not include additional context or reactions to his statement, focusing solely on his remarks about his desired legacy.

The first meeting of the committee of the 13th National Parliament began on Saturday at around 11:15 a.m. in the Cabinet Room, Level-2, of the Parliament Secretariat. Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni presided over the session, which was attended by 11 committee members. The Parliament Secretariat confirmed the start of the meeting as part of the new parliamentary session’s formal activities.

Later in the day, at 4 p.m., the parliamentary meeting of the ruling party is scheduled to take place in the government party’s conference room within the Parliament complex. According to the Secretariat, these meetings are expected to play an important role in initiating the regular functions of the Parliament.

The 13th National Parliament held its first session on March 12, and preparations have been underway since then to advance parliamentary operations. With Saturday’s meeting, the activities of the parliamentary committees have officially commenced.

Former Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was arrested early Saturday, March 28, according to police reports cited by the BBC. Authorities are investigating whether he bears responsibility for the deaths that occurred during the Gen-Z-led protests in September 2025.

The protests, which began as a reaction to a temporary social media ban, evolved into a large-scale anti-corruption youth movement fueled by long-standing economic grievances. At least 77 people were killed during the unrest on September 8 and 9, including 19 young protesters on the first day of the crackdown. The demonstrations were directed against Oli’s government, which had been accused of corruption.

Following the violent suppression of the protests, Oli resigned after failing to control the mass demonstrations. His home minister, Chiren Ramesh Lekhak, had stepped down earlier. An interim government led by former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was later formed, which established a commission headed by former special judge Gauri Bahadur Karki to investigate the uprising and related incidents.

Retired Lieutenant General Masud Uddin Chowdhury, a key figure in Bangladesh’s controversial 1/11 government, is currently in the custody of the Detective Branch (DB) police on a five-day remand. According to multiple sources, during interrogation he claimed that India’s intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) had planned the formation of the 1/11 government, using several officials from Bangladesh’s Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI). He was arrested on March 23 from Dhaka’s Baridhara DOHS area and later shown arrested in a human trafficking case filed at Paltan Police Station.

Investigators are questioning Masud about his alleged role in the 1/11 events, the reported torture of political leaders, and large-scale human trafficking and corruption. He has been accused of embezzling thousands of crores of taka through a manpower export syndicate named Five M International. Police say he is evading key questions and shifting blame to other former DGFI officers. Masud also faces murder charges related to the 2024 Feni shooting that killed 11 people.

When taken to court, Masud faced public outrage as protesters threw dirty water and burnt oil at him, reflecting widespread anger over his alleged actions.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has expressed deep sorrow over a tragic train accident in Tangail’s Kalihati upazila that killed five members of the same family, including a child. The party’s Secretary General, Mia Golam Porwar, conveyed condolences in a statement issued to the media on Friday night following the accident that occurred around 8 p.m. on March 27 in Dholatengor area.

In his statement, Porwar described the incident as a heartbreaking tragedy for the nation and prayed for the departed souls. He extended sympathy to the bereaved family and urged authorities to take stronger measures to ensure safety on roads and railways. He emphasized the need for effective steps to prevent such accidents in the future.

Porwar also called on the authorities to provide adequate compensation and rehabilitation for the affected families, praying for divine mercy for the victims and strength for their relatives to bear the loss.

US President Donald Trump stated that the ongoing war with Iran is not yet over, speaking at the FII Summit in Miami, Florida. He emphasized that the conflict must be brought to an end but clarified that it has not reached that point yet. His remarks were reported by CNN.

Previously, Trump had repeatedly claimed victory over Iran, including in a White House speech earlier in the week where he said the United States had already won and blamed 'fake news' for suggesting otherwise. However, his latest comments indicate that US military operations against Iran are still being planned.

Trump mentioned that 3,554 Iranian targets remain on the US strike list and asserted that these would be completed 'very quickly.' He also claimed that Iran is no longer as powerful as it once was, describing the country as facing unprecedented challenges.

A clear generational divide has surfaced among US conservatives over President Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran, as revealed at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held near Dallas, Texas. Younger conservatives expressed disappointment and a sense of betrayal, arguing that Trump’s military action contradicted his earlier promises to avoid foreign interventions. Several young attendees voiced concern about the possible deployment of US troops to the Middle East, with some saying the move undermines the 'America First' principle.

Older conservatives, however, largely defended Trump’s decision, describing it as a pragmatic response to Iranian threats. Veterans and senior participants said the action was not the start of a new war but a justified reaction to Iran’s long-standing activities. Prominent conservative figures also appeared divided, with commentator Tucker Carlson opposing the war and Homeland Security official Joe Kent resigning in protest, citing moral objections.

CPAC chairman Matt Schlapp acknowledged the internal split but noted that many conservatives still trust Trump despite growing unease. Some younger supporters warned that the movement risks fragmentation if unity cannot be restored.

In Osmaninagar upazila of Sylhet, allegations have surfaced that two gazetted July fighters and representatives of opposition alliance parties were deliberately excluded from the upazila administration’s Independence Day celebrations on March 26. The event, organized by the local administration, featured Sylhet-2 MP Tahsina Rushdir Luna as chief guest and was attended by many BNP leaders and government officials, but no representatives from Jamaat-e-Islami or allied parties were invited.

The two excluded July fighters, Enamul Haque (Gazette No. 180) and Ibrahim Ahmad (Gazette No. 336), claimed that since the current UNO Munmun Nahar Asha took office, they have been systematically left out of official events. Local opposition leaders, including those from the National Citizens’ Committee and Khelafat Majlis, accused the administration of politicizing a national day and prioritizing ruling party interests over neutrality.

The UNO did not respond to a request for comment. Reports also indicated that despite administrative instructions, no union parishads in the upazila held Independence Day programs, fueling further local discontent.

A statement by Syed Mehedi Ahmed Rumi, a former MP and defeated BNP candidate for Kushtia-4, has sparked widespread debate in the district. During an Independence Day discussion at the Kushtia District Shilpakala Academy auditorium on Thursday morning, Rumi said that his group had intentionally replaced the previous district commissioner because, in his words, “the government is ours.” The remark quickly spread on social media, drawing strong reactions.

Rumi alleged that he would have won the election by a margin of 100,000 votes if it had been fair, but lost by about 5,000 votes due to the actions of some “traitors” in the administration and his own party. He claimed to have received 140,000 votes and accused the then district commissioner Iqbal Hossain and parts of the Kumarkhali and Khoksa upazila administrations of working against him. He said he has filed a case in the High Court, with a hearing scheduled for June 24.

The event, organized by the district administration and chaired by current DC Touhid-bin-Hasan, was also attended by local officials and freedom fighters. The remarks have stirred significant political discussion in Kushtia.

Chattogram-10 Member of Parliament Saeed Al Noman has donated Tk 8.5 lakh to the family of expatriate Bangladeshi Abul Mohsin, who was killed in a missile strike in Bahrain during the Israel-Iran war. The donation was made on Friday to support the education of Mohsin’s only daughter, Tasnim Tamanna, on behalf of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Of the total amount, Tk 50,000 was handed over immediately for her higher secondary studies, while the remaining Tk 8 lakh will be provided through an offer letter to ensure her higher education.

Saeed Al Noman said the initiative was taken out of humanitarian responsibility to stand beside Mohsin’s family and to ensure that Tasnim Tamanna’s education continues uninterrupted. He stated that he has taken full responsibility for her education on behalf of the Prime Minister, emphasizing that education is the greatest strength in a person’s life. Several local BNP leaders were present during the donation event.

The contribution aims to secure Tasnim Tamanna’s future education and help her grow into a capable citizen of Bangladesh.

Amid an energy crisis caused by the ongoing Iran war, speculation spread on social media that India might impose a new lockdown. However, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government dismissed these rumors on Friday. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stated that no lockdown proposal is under consideration and urged the public not to spread misinformation during this sensitive global period.

The speculation intensified after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent parliamentary speech, where he mentioned preparations due to disruptions in energy supply and international markets. Officials clarified that Modi did not refer to any lockdown or movement restrictions. Government representatives described the panic as irresponsible and warned that false claims could cause unnecessary fear and disrupt daily life.

Puri added that the government is closely monitoring energy and power supply conditions, prioritizing stability and continuity over restrictions. Rising tensions near the Strait of Hormuz have strained global crude oil and energy markets, leading to confusion linking the current situation with India’s 2020 COVID-19 lockdown experience.

A Facebook post by Jahidul Islam Apu, convener of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal’s Kedarapur Union branch in Babuganj, Barishal, has stirred controversy in local politics. In the post, which also conveyed Eid-ul-Azha greetings, Apu expressed his wish to see Awami League member and former Kedarapur Union chairman Md. Nure Alam Bepari as a candidate for the same position again. The post included a photo card featuring Bepari’s image and greetings to residents of Kedarapur Union.

Local Sramik Dal leaders criticized the post, calling it contrary to the party’s ideology and discipline. Acting general secretary Md. Mizanur Rahman Mintu said organizational action would be taken if the allegation proved true. Sramik Dal president Farid Hossain also stated that no officeholder is allowed to make such statements or posts. Attempts to reach Apu for comment were unsuccessful as his phone remained switched off.

Several BNP and affiliated organization leaders demanded swift organizational measures, saying a party officeholder cannot publicly support a rival political figure. The incident has triggered mixed reactions across the local political scene.

Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon declared that examinations in Bangladesh will no longer be conducted in the manner seen during the Awami League era. Speaking on Friday, March 27, 2026, at a meeting with education board officials and heads of institutions at the Cumilla Education Board conference room, he said that cheating in public exams had once been initiated and later stopped by teachers, but under the Hasina government, it had become widespread. He emphasized that teachers now have a crucial role in ensuring fair examinations.

Milon stated that teachers are the builders of future Bangladesh and described the Ministry of Education as a sacred responsibility entrusted to him by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. He urged teachers to view their work as a form of devotion and moral duty. The minister announced that upcoming examinations, including the SSC, will be entirely free of cheating.

He further directed that all examination centers and educational institutions be brought under continuous CCTV surveillance, not only during exams but at all times, to ensure transparency and accountability.