Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Minister Dipen Dewan has called on all communities from the hills and plains to work together to safeguard Bangladesh’s sovereignty and build a corruption-free, modern nation. He made the remarks on Wednesday at a post-Eid reunion discussion held at the ministry’s conference room in the Bangladesh Secretariat.

During the event, the minister highlighted the cultural diversity of the hill region, noting its distinct and sensitive nature compared to other parts of the country. He announced that a colorful New Year festival will be held in Dhaka on April 12, 2026, and that the celebration will include all ethnic communities by recognizing their individual festival names such as Biju, Sangrai, Baisu, Bishu, Changkran, and Sangkrain. Dewan also emphasized reducing unemployment in the hill areas and filling vacant government positions appropriately.

He recalled the tragic events of March 25, 1971, marking Genocide Day, and expressed his commitment to building a prosperous Bangladesh under Prime Minister Tareq Rahman’s leadership based on equality, human dignity, and social justice.

Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police (DB) arrested retired Lieutenant General Sheikh Mamun Khaled, former Director General of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), from his residence in Mirpur DOHS around midnight on Wednesday. The operation was led by DB chief Shafiqul Islam. Authorities stated that Mamun Khaled is currently being interrogated at the DB office on Mintu Road and will be presented before court on Thursday.

According to DB, multiple cases have been filed against Mamun Khaled, including allegations of corruption, misuse of power, and political manipulation of DGFI during Sheikh Hasina’s government. He served as DGFI chief from 2011 to 2013 and was known as the initiator of the so-called “Aynaghar” operations. The Anti-Corruption Commission began investigating him about one and a half years ago, and a travel ban was imposed in May 2025.

His arrest is being viewed as a significant move by the current government, following long-standing accusations of embezzlement, illegal wealth accumulation, and involvement in politically motivated actions within the armed forces.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami organized a food distribution program for poor and helpless people in Dhaka, reaffirming its commitment to stand by citizens in establishing a welfare state. The event took place on Wednesday afternoon at the Udyam Prochesta Cricket Ground near Tejkunipara Khelaghar field, under the initiative of the Tejgaon Thana branch. Mohammad Selim Uddin, central executive council member and Ameer of Dhaka North, attended as chief guest.

Selim Uddin said that standing beside the underprivileged amid economic disparity and hardship is not only a humanitarian duty but also part of an ideological struggle. He emphasized that Jamaat-e-Islami has always been and will continue to be with the people to establish a just and welfare-oriented state. Around 500 low-income individuals received food items during the program.

Tejgaon Thana South Ameer Engineer Noman Ahmadi stated that many people are suffering due to the failure to meet basic needs, and as a socially conscious and faith-based organization, they consider it their duty to support them. Organizers expressed satisfaction at bringing smiles to disadvantaged people and hoped to expand such initiatives in the future.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his firm stance against what he called the 'aggressive Zionist regime.' Pezeshkian described Turkey’s position as commendable and said Ankara plays an important role in maintaining unity within the Muslim world.

Earlier, Harun Armagan, vice chairman for foreign affairs of Turkey’s ruling AK Party, told Reuters that Ankara has been facilitating message exchanges between Tehran and Washington. According to him, the main goal of these communications is to reduce tensions between the two countries and pave the way for direct talks.

Turkey maintains good relations with both the United States and Iran. Leveraging this position, Ankara is reportedly working with several other nations to present itself as a potential mediator in regional diplomacy.

Four trainee Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASPs) from the 43rd batch of the Bangladesh Civil Service (Police) cadre have been dismissed from government service. The decision was made under the Bangladesh Civil Service Recruitment Rules, 1981. The Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification on Wednesday, signed by Deputy Secretary Touhif Ahmed on behalf of the President.

The dismissed officers are Sajid Bin Kamal, Raton Bala, Md Abdul Aziz, and Tahmid Ahmed. According to the notification, the action was taken under Rule 6(2)(a) of the 1981 regulations with approval from the competent authority. The order took immediate effect in the public interest. Copies of the notification were sent to the Cabinet Secretary, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, the Inspector General of Police, and the Ministry of Public Administration for necessary action.

The notification did not specify the reasons behind the dismissal of the four trainee officers, leaving the cause undisclosed.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) West Bengal president Shamik Bhattacharya has threatened to annex Bangladesh’s Jessore and Khulna regions to India, calling on Bangladeshi Hindus for support. He made the remarks on Wednesday during a BJP press conference in Kolkata, where fellow BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, a former ally of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was also present.

During the event, Bhattacharya declared that his party would not allow West Bengal to become “West Bangladesh.” He accused Mamata Banerjee and her associates of attempting to change the state’s identity and stated that the BJP would not permit the construction of a Babri Masjid. He further urged Bangladeshi Hindus to “break Bangladesh” and bring land to India by including Jessore and Khulna.

The statements were made publicly in Kolkata and directly linked to regional political tensions between the BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal.

Member of Parliament for Sunamganj-2, Nasir Uddin Chowdhury, emphasized the need to make Shalla Upazila free from corruption and crime. He called for an end to theft and false cases, urging that ordinary people should not face harassment. He made these remarks on Wednesday while addressing a views-exchange meeting organized by the Shalla Upazila BNP as the chief guest.

During his speech, Chowdhury said that the development of Dirai-Shalla requires eliminating crime and ensuring active participation from all party leaders and workers. He also stated that opportunists from the Awami League would not be allowed to join their party. The meeting, held at the public auditorium at 2 p.m., was presided over by Shalla Upazila BNP convener Md. Sirajul Islam Siraj and conducted by senior joint convener Md. Abdul Awal.

After the meeting, Nasir Uddin Chowdhury attended another event at the office of the Upazila Nirbahi Officer, continuing his engagement with local administrative and political activities.

After a gap of one and a half decades, Bangladesh is bringing back the traditional Independence Day parade on March 26, 2026. The event will take place at the National Parade Ground, featuring displays of the country’s defense capabilities by the army, navy, and air force. President Mohammed Shahabuddin will receive the salute, while Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will attend the ceremony. The parade will begin with the entry of the parade commander on horseback and will include participation from various law enforcement agencies.

The parade will showcase armored, artillery, signals, East Bengal, air defense, services, para commando, naval, and modernized infantry contingents. Paratroopers will descend with the national flag, and the air force will perform aerial demonstrations, concluding with a salute from MiG-29 fighter jets. The Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) announced that the event will be open to the public, who can enter through gates 2, 3, 4, 10, and 11.

The parade highlights the armed forces’ commitment to safeguarding national sovereignty and marks a major return of a national tradition to public participation.

Additional Inspector General Mosleh Uddin Ahmed has officially taken charge as the new head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police. The handover ceremony took place on Wednesday at the CID headquarters, where outgoing chief Additional IGP Md. Shibgat Ullah was given a farewell reception. In his address, Mosleh Uddin pledged to establish CID as an apex investigation unit and emphasized teamwork as the key to maintaining the department’s reputation.

Mosleh Uddin joined the Bangladesh Police through the 15th BCS in 1995 and previously served as Additional IGP at the Police Headquarters’ Logistics and Asset Acquisition branch. He also held key positions in the Dhaka and Chattogram Metropolitan Police and served as Superintendent of Police in several districts, including Kushtia, Bhola, and Sherpur. He has international experience from his service in the UNAMID mission.

The outgoing chief highlighted his tenure’s achievements, including reducing pending cases from about 600 to 50 and initiating projects such as regional forensic labs, a medical center, and a one-stop call center for CID operations.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has expressed deep sorrow, grief, and concern over the tragic bus accident at the Daulatdia ferry terminal in Rajbari. In a statement sent to the media on Wednesday night, the party’s Secretary General, Mia Golam Porwar, conveyed condolences following the incident in which a passenger bus lost control and plunged into the Padma River around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. According to the statement, four bodies have been recovered so far, while at least 45 people remain missing.

Porwar said the accident has deeply shaken the nation and described the anguish of the bereaved families as beyond words. He prayed for the departed souls, extended sympathy to the grieving families, and wished a speedy recovery for the injured. He urged authorities to conduct rescue operations swiftly using modern equipment and called for an impartial, high-level investigation to determine whether negligence or mismanagement contributed to the tragedy.

The Jamaat leader also demanded exemplary punishment for those responsible and adequate compensation and rehabilitation for the affected families, emphasizing the need for accountability to prevent such incidents in the future.

A Dhaka court has ordered the arrest of Bangladesh Chhatra League’s central publicity secretary Tariqul Islam Tarek in a case filed over the shooting of students during an anti-discrimination movement in Mirpur. The order was issued on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, by Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Aminul Islam Junaid following a petition from the investigating officer. Sub-inspector Md Riazul Islam of Kafrul Police Station presented the accused before the court. The prosecution confirmed that the court rejected Tarek’s bail plea and directed that he be sent to jail.

According to the case, during the anti-discrimination student movement in July 2024, Awami League and its affiliated organizations allegedly attacked and opened fire on protesting students in the Mirpur-10 area. Complainant Bashir Uddin was shot in the abdomen while passing near Shah Ali Plaza on July 19 and was later hospitalized at Kurmitola General Hospital. He filed the case at Kafrul Police Station on October 10, 2024.

The investigation officer stated that Tarek had previously been detained in another anti-terrorism case and that his arrest in this case was necessary for proper investigation and justice.

The government has issued a notification increasing the retirement age for all officers and employees of the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) from 60 to 62 years. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting published the gazette on March 15, 2026, formalizing the change for the national news agency’s workforce.

According to the notification, the new retirement age will be considered effective retroactively from December 11, 2011. The decision applies to all categories of BSS officials and staff under the government’s jurisdiction. The announcement marks a policy adjustment in the employment terms of the state-run news organization.

The change is expected to affect the service tenure of current and future BSS employees, aligning their retirement age with the updated government directive.

The president of Feni Government College Chhatra Dal, Nomanul Haque Noman, has been expelled from his organizational post after a phone conversation surfaced in which he allegedly demanded money and threatened to obstruct vehicle movement. The decision was announced on Tuesday, March 24, through a statement signed by the central Chhatra Dal office secretary Md. Jahangir Alam. The statement cited a specific breach of organizational discipline as the reason for his removal.

According to the announcement, senior vice president Mahmudul Hasan Bhuiyan has been appointed acting president of the college unit, with the decision taking immediate effect to maintain organizational continuity. The expulsion was approved by central Chhatra Dal president Rakibul Islam Rakib and general secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir.

The leaked four-minute audio clip, which went viral on social media, captured Noman allegedly demanding Tk 16,000 from another Chhatra Dal leader, Ifthekhar Tahad Iftu, for transporting soil through a local road. The incident sparked widespread discussion and criticism across Feni district.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee has launched her party’s campaign for the upcoming state assembly elections from the northern region of the state. On Wednesday, she addressed two public meetings in Jalpaiguri district and one in Darjeeling district, where she described the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as 'politically blind'. During her speech in Maynaguri, Banerjee also accused the Election Commission of bias alongside her criticism of the BJP.

Separately, Trinamool Congress’s All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee made similar allegations against the Election Commission while speaking at a rally in Nandigram. The BJP and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) had already begun their election campaigns earlier.

On the same day, West Bengal’s Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, addressed a workers’ meeting in Ramnagar, East Medinipur, where he blamed the Trinamool Congress government for the deterioration of women’s safety in the state.

Senior Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Ruhul Kudduz Kajol has been appointed as the 18th Attorney General of Bangladesh. The Ministry of Law issued a notification on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, confirming his appointment. He replaces Asaduzzaman, who resigned from the post after being elected as a Member of Parliament under the BNP nomination and later became the Minister for Law in Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s cabinet.

Barrister Kajol is a senior advocate of the Supreme Court, a former secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association, and chairman of the executive committee of the Bangladesh Bar Council. He also serves as a senior joint secretary of the BNP-backed Nationalist Lawyers’ Forum and is a member of the BNP’s National Executive Committee.

A graduate of the University of Dhaka’s law department, Kajol began his legal career in 1995 and joined the Supreme Court Bar Association in 1996. He previously worked as a diplomatic officer at the Bangladesh High Commission in London from 2003 to 2006 and was recognized as a senior advocate by the Appellate Division in 2023.