Member of Parliament Abdul Hannan Masud has explained why opposition lawmakers remained seated during the national anthem at the first session of the 13th National Parliament. In a Facebook post on Friday morning, he said that when the Speaker announced the President’s speech, opposition members stood with placards and chanted slogans in protest. As the President entered the chamber, ruling party members stood to show respect, while opposition members continued their protest and remained seated.

Masud stated that the national anthem began playing at the same time, but opposition members did not realize it due to their protest and sound issues with the speaker system. When MP Hasnat Abdullah noticed the anthem was playing, he informed the others, and they immediately stood to show respect until the anthem ended. Masud expressed hope that the misunderstanding would be resolved and that accurate information would help build a united Bangladesh.

U.S. President Donald Trump is struggling to claim victory in the ongoing war with Iran, which has entered its second week. The conflict has escalated after Iran closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global oil transport and driving up fuel prices. Despite Trump’s early declaration of success, military analysts and events on the ground suggest the situation is far from under control. A U.S. tanker aircraft crash in Iraq and domestic unrest in Virginia and Michigan have further complicated the picture, while seven American soldiers have already been reported dead.

Experts warn that reopening the Strait of Hormuz would be extremely difficult due to Iranian drone and missile threats. Analysts argue that the crisis underscores the limits of military power and the need for political solutions. The killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the succession of his son have weakened Trump’s narrative of strategic victory. Meanwhile, differing U.S. and Israeli goals, rising oil prices, and growing domestic unease are eroding public support.

The article concludes that Trump faces diminishing strategic options and may be forced to declare victory prematurely to avoid a prolonged and costly conflict.

July Oikya has called for the impeachment of President Md. Shahabuddin, accusing him of involvement in fascist activities during the July uprising and of spreading false information. The demand was made at an emergency press conference held on Friday afternoon at Dhaka University’s Madhur Canteen. The group also urged the implementation of the July Charter and sought to bring the president under trial as an accomplice to genocide.

At the event, organizer Fahim Faruqi alleged that after the 2024 July–August uprising that toppled the Sheikh Hasina government, more than 1,400 people were killed and thousands injured. He accused the president of violating his oath and misleading the public through media interviews, including a claim that July Oikya attempted to surround Bangabhaban in October 2024, though the group was formed in May 2025. Leaders further criticized the BNP for allowing the president to address parliament, calling it a betrayal of the July movement’s spirit.

The organization demanded immediate impeachment under Article 52 of the Constitution and warned of a mass movement if the July Charter is not implemented during the current parliamentary session.

Public entry to the National Memorial in Savar will remain closed from March 23 to 25, 2026, as part of preparations for the celebration of the Great Independence and National Day. The closure aims to facilitate cleaning and maintenance of the memorial premises ahead of the national observance.

According to an official information release issued on Friday, entry will also remain restricted on March 26 until invited guests leave the memorial after the early morning ceremony. Authorities have requested public cooperation to preserve the sanctity and overall beauty of the National Memorial during this period.

The announcement underscores the importance of maintaining the memorial’s environment in advance of the national commemoration events.

BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas will not be taken to Singapore for advanced medical treatment at this time. The decision was made because his current physical condition does not allow him to travel abroad. BNP Health Affairs Secretary Dr. Rafiqul Islam confirmed that Abbas’s family has confidence in local medical care and that any future decision to move him abroad will depend on the recommendation of his medical board.

According to Dr. Islam, a virtual medical board met earlier in the day and decided to perform surgery on Abbas after consulting with his family. The surgery was carried out on his brain, and he is now under intensive observation in the ICU. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman visited Abbas at Evercare Hospital in Bashundhara after Friday prayers and was briefed by the medical team on his condition.

Abbas was admitted to Evercare Hospital on Wednesday after losing consciousness during iftar. His family has requested prayers from the public for his speedy recovery.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs has refrained from commenting on whether two suspects in the murder of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi will be extradited to Bangladesh. The suspects, Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Hossain, were arrested by West Bengal’s Special Task Force on March 7 near the Bongaon border and have been placed on 14-day remand by an Indian court. During a weekly briefing in New Delhi, ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said he had nothing to add beyond the statement issued by the West Bengal government.

Jaiswal also confirmed that Bangladesh’s DGFI chief had visited India and might have met Indian officials during the Raisina Dialogue. On energy cooperation, he said Bangladesh has requested additional diesel supplies amid the Middle East conflict, and India is considering the request after assessing refinery capacity and domestic demand. Similar requests have come from Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

He noted that India has been exporting refined petroleum products to neighboring countries and that diesel supply to Bangladesh from the Numaligarh refinery has continued since 2007 under a 2017 bilateral agreement.

An emergency meeting of the liaison committee of the eleven-party alliance, which includes Jamaat-e-Islami, has been called for Saturday at 11 a.m. The meeting will take place at Jamaat-e-Islami’s central office in Moghbazar, Dhaka. Following the meeting, the committee leaders are scheduled to brief journalists at 12:30 p.m.

According to Dr. AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, coordinator of the eleven-party alliance and assistant secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami, the meeting will review the current situation in the country and determine the next course of action. The announcement was made to the media on Friday.

The meeting aims to assess the prevailing national context and outline strategies for the alliance’s future steps, reflecting ongoing political coordination among the participating parties.

U.S. President Donald Trump declared that killing Iran’s top leaders, including the recently deceased Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was a “great honor.” In a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Friday, Trump stated that the United States would completely destroy Iran’s “terrorist regime” militarily and economically. He claimed Iran’s navy and air force had been effectively wiped out, along with its missiles and drones, and said its leaders had been “erased from the face of the earth.”

Trump criticized a New York Times report suggesting the U.S. was losing the war, asserting that America possessed unmatched military power, limitless ammunition, and sufficient time to defeat Iran. He described Iran’s leadership as responsible for killing innocent people worldwide for 47 years and said that as the 47th U.S. president, he was now eliminating them, calling it a great honor.

According to the report, Ayatollah Khamenei was killed on February 28, the first day of U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran. On March 8, Iran’s Assembly of Experts elected Mojtaba Khamenei, aged 56, as the new Supreme Leader.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Turkey is pursuing strong diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation of violence centered on Iran. He made the remarks on Thursday in Ankara during a ceremony where he presented the Atatürk International Peace Award to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, according to Anadolu Agency.

Erdogan emphasized that diplomacy and dialogue are the safest paths to achieving fair and lasting peace. He acknowledged challenges in the diplomatic process involving the United States, Israel, and Iran but affirmed Turkey’s commitment to continue peace efforts with patience and determination. He also praised Guterres for his neutrality and wisdom since taking office in 2017 and for his contributions to refugee protection, global justice, and shuttle diplomacy amid the Russia-Ukraine war.

Erdogan reiterated that Turkey’s foreign policy is guided by the principle of “peace at home, peace in the world,” inherited from the republic’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and reaffirmed Turkey’s strong support for the United Nations’ founding values.

Newly elected Speaker Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed stated that chanting slogans in Parliament is inappropriate and outside parliamentary tradition. He made the remarks on Friday, March 13, after paying tribute to the martyrs at the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar. Ahmed noted that while walkouts are a recognized parliamentary practice, maintaining discipline is essential, and slogan chanting should not occur inside the chamber.

He emphasized that Bangladesh has achieved a democratic Parliament through great sacrifice and expressed hope that lawmakers will work together to fulfill the people’s aspirations. The Speaker also pledged to ensure impartial conduct in parliamentary proceedings, comparing his approach to neutral umpiring in cricket.

Earlier that morning, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and Deputy Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal paid homage to the martyrs of the Liberation War, observed a minute of silence, and signed the memorial’s visitor book.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman visited Mirza Abbas, a member of the BNP National Standing Committee, at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka on Friday after Jumma prayers. During the visit, he inquired about Abbas’s health condition, spoke with his family members, and instructed officials to arrange for his treatment in Singapore as soon as possible.

Afroza Abbas, president of the Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal and wife of Mirza Abbas, along with attending doctors, were present at the hospital during the visit. Earlier in the day, BNP announced that Mirza Abbas would be flown to Singapore at 6 p.m. for advanced treatment at the Neuroscience Department of the National University Hospital.

Mirza Abbas had been admitted to Evercare Hospital on Wednesday night after suddenly falling ill and losing consciousness at his residence in Bashundhara, Dhaka.

Speaker of the 13th National Parliament Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and Deputy Speaker Kaiser Kamal paid deep respects to the martyrs of Bangladesh’s Liberation War at the National Memorial in Savar on Friday morning. They laid floral wreaths, observed a moment of silence, and signed the visitors’ book to honor the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for independence.

Speaking to the media, Speaker Hafiz Uddin described his role in parliament as neutral, comparing it to that of a cricket umpire. He emphasized his tolerance toward the opposition and noted that he had resigned from his party to perform his duties impartially. He expressed confidence that the government, elected by the people, would build a happy and prosperous nation with parliament as its center.

The Speaker also recalled former President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and paid tribute to those who lost their lives in movements against authoritarian rule over the past 17 years.

An attempt was made to file a case against Asif Mahmud and other coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement for their roles during the July Revolution. The court did not accept the case. The National Citizen Party (NCP) and its convenor, Md Nahid Islam, who is also the opposition chief whip, condemned the move in a statement released to the media on Friday, calling it alarming and reprehensible in the context of the new Bangladesh formed after the mass uprising.

The statement described the attempt as a politically motivated attack not against individuals but against the spirit of the July Revolution, the anti-fascist struggle, and the young leadership that emerged from it. It said the anti-discrimination student movement symbolizes equality, justice, human dignity, democracy, and resistance to fascism for the country’s youth.

The NCP urged the government and relevant authorities to take effective measures to stop such attempts and to act legally against the defeated forces allegedly involved in conspiracies. The party reaffirmed its commitment to resist any fascist activities.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has advised that his political adviser and BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas be taken to Singapore for advanced medical treatment. The Prime Minister instructed the foreign minister to make necessary arrangements. The information was shared by BNP Standing Committee member and Minister for Social Welfare, Women and Children Affairs Professor Dr. A Z M Zahid Hossain after visiting Mirza Abbas at the hospital.

BNP Secretary General and Minister for Local Government and Cooperatives Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, along with Standing Committee member Abdul Moin Khan, also visited Abbas. According to BNP Media Cell member Shayrul Kabir Khan, Abbas’s family decided to move him to Singapore following doctors’ advice. He is scheduled to be flown by air ambulance at 6 p.m. to the National University Hospital (NUH) in Singapore.

Family sources said Mirza Abbas lost consciousness during iftar on Wednesday and was admitted to a hospital later that night after his condition did not improve. He is currently receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.

Large crowds gathered across Iran on Quds Day to express solidarity with Palestinians. Demonstrations took place in major cities including Tehran, Khorramabad, Isfahan, Golestan, Yazd, Mashhad, and Zahedan. Participants carried flags and portraits of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and his late father Ali Khamenei, according to footage shared by Iranian state media.

Reuters reported that in Tehran, demonstrators burned effigies of U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while chanting slogans against the United States and Israel. Footage from Fars News Agency showed people striking coffins wrapped in U.S. and Israeli flags with nails. The rallies occurred amid ongoing Israeli military attacks, with Iranian state media also reporting explosions in Tehran, Isfahan, and other regions.

The events underscored Iran’s continued public support for Palestinians and opposition to Israel and the United States, coinciding with heightened regional tensions.