Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen expressed optimism about strengthening mutual cooperation between China and Bangladesh in the social protection sector. During a courtesy meeting on Monday at the Secretariat with Social Welfare Minister Professor Dr. A.Z.M. Zahid Hossain and State Minister Farzana Sharmin, Yao Wen said China aims to support Bangladesh’s local communities through initiatives in education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation to promote sustainable self-reliance.

The ambassador praised Bangladesh’s Family Card program, noting its popularity among low-income citizens, and said China is interested in deepening friendship and collaboration in social protection alongside infrastructure development. Minister Zahid Hossain described China as a long-standing friend and highlighted its technological advancement, especially in smart card systems. He explained that the Family Card is a database-based digital social protection platform designed to ensure family-centered welfare.

Both sides expressed hope for further strengthening bilateral ties and cooperation. The minister emphasized that China’s experience could help make Bangladesh’s Family Card program more transparent and technology-driven, supporting education, health, nutrition, and women’s empowerment.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen paid a courtesy call on Social Welfare Minister Professor Dr. A.Z.M. Zahid Hossain and State Minister Farzana Sharmin at the minister’s office in Dhaka on March 30, 2026. The meeting was attended by the ministry’s secretary, Dr. Mohammad Abu Yusuf, and a three-member Chinese delegation. Both sides discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation in social welfare and digital technology.

Minister Zahid Hossain described China as a long-standing friend of Bangladesh and highlighted the government’s Family Card initiative, a database-based digital social protection platform aimed at improving education, health, nutrition, poverty reduction, and women’s empowerment. He noted that China’s experience in smart card technology could be valuable in making the program more transparent and technology-driven.

Ambassador Yao Wen praised the Family Card program’s popularity among low-income groups and expressed China’s willingness to deepen cooperation in social protection, education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation. Both parties expressed optimism about further strengthening Bangladesh-China bilateral relations through mutual collaboration.

US lawmakers have voiced strong reactions after reports emerged that the Pentagon is planning a multi-week ground operation in Iran. Republican Senator James Lankford, speaking on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press,’ said it is essential to understand why troops are being deployed. He added that whether President Donald Trump needs congressional approval depends on how the forces would be used.

Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey warned that Trump is pushing the country into a conflict without congressional authorization and without a clear exit strategy. Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen told ABC News’ ‘This Week’ that the war is costing American lives and billions of dollars daily, while also driving up oil and gas prices.

The debate underscores growing concern in Washington about the potential escalation of the Iran conflict and the constitutional limits on presidential war powers.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Aminur Rashid has declared that no one will be spared if irregularities or corruption are found in development projects. He made the statement while presiding over a meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture in the Secretariat to review the Annual Development Programme (ADP) on March 30, 2026. The minister emphasized that all projects must be designed and implemented with the genuine welfare of the people in mind.

During the meeting, the minister directed officials to identify reasons behind underperforming projects and ensure accountability for those responsible. He also urged that future projects prioritize public welfare through long-term planning. Stressing the importance of sustainable agricultural production, he highlighted the need to restore soil fertility and protect soil health, noting that excessive fertilizer use has increased soil acidity and production costs.

The meeting was informed that the ADP implementation progress for the current fiscal year stands at 42.18 percent. Senior officials, including Agriculture Secretary Rafiqul E. Mohamed, and heads of subordinate agencies attended the session.

The government has issued a notification forming an executive committee for Hajj management, with Minister of Religious Affairs Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaykobad as its chairman. The announcement was made through a notification signed by Additional Secretary Md. Humayun Kabir of the Cabinet Division, issued on Sunday under the order of the President.

According to the notification, the committee includes secretaries from the ministries of Home, Public Administration, and Finance, along with heads of various government agencies. The committee will prepare necessary work plans to ensure proper Hajj management, approve Hajj packages, and implement decisions of the national committee. The chairman will preside over all meetings, but may nominate another member to do so if necessary.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs will provide secretarial support to the committee. The notification also states that the previous order issued by the Cabinet Division on October 2, 2024, has been declared void.

Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, has approved the state budget for the 2026 fiscal year, allocating a record amount to the defense sector. The budget, totaling 850.6 billion shekels (around 271 billion dollars), passed early Monday by a vote of 62 to 55, according to The Times of Israel. The Defense Ministry will receive approximately 458 billion shekels, marking the largest defense allocation in the country’s history. Passing the budget before the Tuesday deadline also prevented an automatic early election that would have been triggered by a delay.

Following the approval, opposition leader Yair Lapid sharply criticized the budget, calling it “the biggest theft in the country’s history.” In a post on social media platform X, he accused the government of taking money from reservists and hardworking citizens and handing it to corrupt individuals and those avoiding military service.

The record defense spending and the opposition’s strong reaction highlight deep political divisions over fiscal priorities and governance in Israel.

A defamation case worth Tk 100 crore has been filed against Islamic speaker Mufti Amir Hamza. The case was lodged on Monday at 12 noon in the Sirajganj Sadar Amli Court by Advocate Nazmul Islam, former general secretary of the BNP’s Sadar upazila unit. Judge Suman Kumar Karmakar heard the case and kept it pending for an order. The information was confirmed by Additional Public Prosecutors Advocate Hamidul Islam Dulal, Humayun Kabir Colonel, and Indrajit Saha.

According to APP Hamidul Islam Dulal, Amir Hamza, an opposition Member of Parliament and influential Islamic speaker, allegedly made defamatory remarks against State Minister for Power and Energy Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku. On March 27, during a pre-sermon discussion before the Friday prayer at Hafsai Haripur Boro Mosque in Kushtia, Hamza reportedly called the minister an atheist and anti-Islamic. The statement spread widely on social media, allegedly damaging the minister’s reputation and family heritage both domestically and abroad.

The case accuses Amir Hamza of committing a punishable offense under Section 500 and includes a request for a warrant and arrest order.

Senior Supreme Court lawyer and Jamaat-e-Islami executive council member Shishir Monir has alleged that the government is opposing major reforms introduced by the interim administration. Speaking at a press briefing in front of the Supreme Court annex building on Monday, he said that despite claims of accepting many ordinances, initiatives have been taken to repeal several key reform ordinances.

Monir listed the referendum ordinance, judges’ appointment ordinance, separate judicial secretariat ordinance, enforced disappearance commission ordinance, human rights commission ordinance, and banking reform ordinance among those facing repeal. He argued that such actions amount to denying the 18-month achievements of the government formed after the July uprising. According to him, of the 133 ordinances placed before the national parliament, 12 are proposed to lapse, three to be repealed, 13 to be reformulated, 74 to be passed as they are, and 31 to be amended later. A special committee has been formed to review these ordinances and is expected to submit its report by the second of the month.

Monir warned that repealing the referendum ordinance would undermine the July Charter Implementation Order and related electoral provisions, calling the move an “aborted step.”

Myanmar’s military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has resigned to contest in the country’s upcoming presidential election. The announcement came on Monday in Naypyidaw, where Hlaing formally handed over his position as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to General Ye Win Oo, an experienced officer. Ye Win Oo, who was appointed intelligence chief in 2020, was promoted earlier this month to lead the military.

On the same day, Myanmar’s newly elected lower house of parliament nominated two vice-presidential candidates, including Hlaing. The upper house will nominate another candidate, and the combined parliament will later vote to elect one of the three as president. The date for the vote has not yet been announced.

The election, held under military control, was the first since the 2021 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s government and triggered civil war. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party won a majority, though the United Nations and several Western countries have dismissed the polls as a sham.

Cumilla-4 Member of Parliament Hasnat Abdullah made a remark directed at Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed during a supplementary question in the fourth sitting of the first session of the 13th National Parliament on Monday, March 30, 2026. Hasnat said he often feels hesitant to ask questions because the minister tends to issue notices afterward. The Home Minister responded by wishing Hasnat Abdullah a bright future.

During the exchange, Hasnat Abdullah did not initially use the customary honorific term while addressing the minister, later acknowledging the mistake and admitting it was an oversight. He also noted that he is 27 and a half years old, while the minister has been in parliament since 1991, adding that he was born in 1998 and is willing to correct conventional errors.

The first session of the 13th National Parliament began on March 12, 2026, marking the context for this exchange between the two lawmakers.

A Jamalpur court has ordered 31 Awami League leaders and activists from Madarganj and Bakshiganj upazilas to be sent to jail after rejecting their bail petitions. The group, including Madarganj Upazila Awami League General Secretary and former Upazila Chairman Obaidur Rahman Belal, surrendered before the court on Monday and sought bail. Chief Judicial Magistrate Rumana Akter of the Jamalpur District Judge Court issued the order following a hearing.

According to court sources, 27 of the accused are from Madarganj and four from Bakshiganj. The Madarganj group faced four cases, including two filed by local BNP leaders Hafizur Rahman Saku and Abdullah Al Mamun, and one under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The prosecution opposed the bail petitions, and after hearing both sides, the court denied bail and ordered imprisonment.

Court Inspector Md. Abul Hossain confirmed that all 31 individuals were sent to jail following the court’s decision.

Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Antonio Alessandro and Pakistani High Commissioner Imran Haider met with Prime Minister’s Defense Adviser Dr. AKM Shamsul Islam at his office in the Armed Forces Division in Dhaka Cantonment. The meeting took place on Monday, according to a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

During the courtesy meeting, the envoys and the adviser discussed various issues of mutual interest. They expressed optimism about strengthening bilateral military relations and strategic cooperation between Bangladesh and their respective countries.

The ISPR statement highlighted that the discussions reflected a shared interest in enhancing defense and strategic ties, though no further details were provided about specific agreements or future initiatives.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to hold a meeting with administrators of 42 newly appointed district councils on Monday night at 8:30 p.m. The meeting will take place at the BNP chairperson and prime minister’s political office in Gulshan, Dhaka, according to information from the Prime Minister’s Office. Administrators from across the country have already arrived in Dhaka to attend the session.

A district council member, who requested anonymity, said this is the first time the prime minister has called them since their appointment, though the purpose of the meeting has not been disclosed. Sources at the Prime Minister’s Office indicated that Rahman will provide guidance on various administrative matters, particularly focusing on development activities in the districts. He is expected to listen to the administrators’ plans and share his own development strategies.

The government appointed new administrators to 42 district councils on March 15, marking the first major reshuffle in these local bodies under the current administration.

Bangladesh’s Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told the National Parliament on Monday that there will be no ‘mob culture’ in the country. He also warned that road blockades in the name of pressing demands will not be allowed. The minister made these remarks while responding to a supplementary question from independent lawmaker Rumin Farhana during the parliamentary question session.

Rumin Farhana had raised concerns about past incidents of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and custodial torture, and referred to mob violence between September 2024 and January 2026 that reportedly caused over 250 deaths. In response, the minister said he did not have statistics for that period but asserted that no mob incidents had occurred since his government took office. He emphasized that not all violent incidents should be labeled as mob actions, citing examples of organized crimes that are under investigation.

The minister further stated that while democratic demands can be expressed through proper channels such as seminars or public gatherings, blocking highways to press demands will no longer be tolerated.

The National Citizen Party (NCP) has nominated Tariqul Islam, convener of Jatiya Juboshokti, as its mayoral candidate for the upcoming Cumilla City Corporation election. The announcement was made by NCP convener Nahid Islam during an emergency press conference held on Sunday night at the party’s temporary office in Banglamotor, Dhaka.

Tariqul Islam, a law graduate from the University of Dhaka, has been active in several major student and civic movements. He participated in the 2018 quota reform movement, during which he was imprisoned for 48 days, and later took part in the 2019 DUCSU election and campaigns for justice in the Abrar Fahad murder case. He was also involved in protests against the NRC-CAA and was arrested again in 2022 during an Abrar Fahad memorial event.

Currently serving as convener of Jatiya Juboshokti and an executive committee member of the NCP, Tariqul is also a practicing lawyer. He gained prominence as a central coordinator during the July 2024 mass uprising, earning the nickname “Slogan Master.”