The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) detained three individuals in two separate operations in Dhaka, recovering illegal firearms and a large quantity of narcotics. According to a press release issued on Thursday, March 12, 2026, RAB-10 conducted the raids in Demra and Jatrabari areas as part of ongoing drives against drugs and illegal weapons.

In Demra’s Sarulia area, RAB officers arrested two suspects. One, identified as Md. Fahim Hossain, was caught with 3,865 yaba tablets, 11 packets, and 278 grams of heroin worth about Tk 4.05 million. Another suspect, Md. Hasibul Hasan alias Shanto, was detained with a locally made single-barrel gun and two rounds of 12-bore cartridges. Later that night, in Jatrabari’s Dolairpar area, RAB arrested Md. Mamun Mia, an alleged member of a snatching gang, and recovered evidence linked to his activities.

RAB-10 officials stated that surveillance and regular operations have been intensified to curb the spread of drugs, illegal weapons, and street crimes in the capital, with efforts continuing to maintain law and order.

The Ministry of Shipping has announced the launch of a special river transport service from March 17 to ensure safe and smooth travel for people returning home ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr. The service will operate from two terminals in Dhaka, covering several key river routes with launch and steamer services.

According to the ministry, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) is coordinating with relevant agencies to implement the initiative. Under the plan, vessels will operate from Shimulia Tourist Terminal near Kanchan Bridge on the Shimulia–Demra–Narayanganj–Chandpur–Kaliganj–Hijla–Barishal route, and from Bosila Terminal near Bosila Bridge on the Bosila–Sadarghat–Munshiganj–Chandpur–Eidgai Ferry Ghat–Shariatpur–Ilisha–Hakimuddin–Galachipa route.

Authorities have issued necessary instructions to maintain safety and order during the Eid travel period. Passengers are urged to use designated routes and contact the BIWTA hotline 16113 for assistance or emergencies.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard has arrested an active member of the notorious Karim Sharif gang during an operation near the Shhela River in the Sundarbans. The arrest took place early Thursday morning following a raid by a special team from the Coast Guard’s Mongla base. The detainee, identified as Osman Gani, 38, is a resident of Ashashuni in Satkhira district. According to a press release issued by Coast Guard media officer Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujon, the operation was based on secret intelligence about the gang’s presence in the area.

Following the arrest, the Coast Guard recovered a single-barrel gun, 16 rounds of live cartridges, and five blank cartridges from the site based on information provided by the detainee. Authorities said Osman Gani had long been involved with the Karim Sharif gang, participating in robberies and supplying weapons and ammunition to the group. The Coast Guard stated that the arrested individual and seized items are being handed over to the relevant authorities for legal action.

Officials reaffirmed that regular operations will continue to keep the Sundarbans free from bandit activity.

Eight members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) were injured in an attack during an anti-drug operation in Teknaf’s Nazirpara area of Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday evening. The violence erupted after RAB arrested Faridul Alam, also known as Daket Farid, a local leader of the Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal and a suspected drug trafficker facing 17 criminal cases including murder and money laundering. During the clash, two motorcycles, including one belonging to RAB, were set on fire and completely burned.

RAB-15’s Teknaf CPC-1 commander Sohel Rana confirmed the incident, saying the operation targeted known drug dealers. He reported that two of the injured RAB members were in critical condition and sent to Cox’s Bazar District Hospital. Local residents claimed the arrest occurred during a community iftar event organized by the volunteer group, which triggered public outrage and led to the attack.

Police and fire service units later arrived to control the situation. Teknaf police chief Saiful Islam said legal action would follow if RAB filed a complaint. The detainee’s father alleged political harassment and denied any active arrest warrant against his son.

President Md. Shahabuddin Chuppu delivered his constitutionally mandated address at the opening of the 13th National Parliament session on Thursday, where he strongly criticized the former Sheikh Hasina government. In his 16-page speech, he described the previous administration as fascist and accused it of corruption, killings, and enforced disappearances. He also recounted the July 2024 mass uprising that he said ended Hasina’s rule and marked Bangladesh’s liberation from fascism. The session was presided over by Speaker Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.

During his address, the president honored the country’s martyrs, including former President Ziaur Rahman, whom he called the proclaimer of independence, and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia for her role in establishing parliamentary democracy. Government members, including Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, applauded his remarks, while opposition lawmakers protested, labeling him an accomplice of the former regime and briefly walking out before returning.

The president also discussed the interim government’s initiatives following the 2024 uprising, the current administration’s welfare programs, and economic challenges such as inflation and foreign currency reserves. He expressed hope for progress in agriculture and the economy despite global instability.

Four people sustained burn injuries after an electrical transformer exploded at Maona intersection in Sreepur, Gazipur, on Wednesday night around 10:45 p.m. The explosion triggered a fire that spread to nearby shops, causing panic among hundreds of people in the area. Three of the injured were transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment after receiving initial care at Al Hera Hospital.

According to local witnesses, the transformer exploded with a loud noise, and flames quickly spread to the adjacent Sahid Super Market. Sparks from the blast caused several people to catch fire, including one man whose head caught flames. The incident led to chaos as people fled the area, and some were injured while running.

Sreepur Fire Service Station Officer Nurul Karim said two fire service units brought the blaze under control shortly after it began. The fire spread to a nearby three-story building, damaging several shops and goods before being extinguished.

Bangladesh’s Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed commented on the opposition’s walkout and protest during President Md. Shahabuddin’s address at the first session of the 13th National Parliament on March 12, 2026. Speaking to reporters after the session was adjourned, he questioned the rationale behind the opposition’s stance, noting that the same president had previously held discussions with them on August 5 and 6, and that advisers to the interim government had taken oaths before him. He pointed out that some opposition members who protested are also current members of parliament.

Responding to remarks by Opposition Leader Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, the minister said it was contradictory for the opposition to now reject the president they had earlier engaged with. However, he described walkouts as a normal part of parliamentary democracy and said such actions are permissible within democratic culture.

Ahmed added that the parliament would remain meaningful and serve as a center for national dialogue, emphasizing unity against fascism and cooperation on national issues.

At least 12 people were killed and two others were seriously injured in a road accident at Belai Bridge area of Rampal upazila in Bagerhat on Thursday afternoon. The collision occurred between a Bangladesh Navy bus and a microbus carrying wedding guests. Several passengers died on the spot, while others sustained critical injuries.

According to local sources, the vehicles collided head-on while moving at high speed. Among the deceased, six were members of the family of Razzak Commissioner, while the identities of the others have not yet been confirmed. Police and fire service personnel quickly arrived at the scene and began rescue operations, sending the injured to Rampal Upazila Health Complex and Khulna Medical College Hospital.

Authorities fear the death toll may rise further. The tragic incident has cast a pall of grief over the area, and the local administration has begun investigating the cause of the accident.

Bangladesh’s opposition lawmakers, led by Jamaat-e-Islami chief and Leader of the Opposition Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, walked out of Parliament on Thursday as President Md. Shahabuddin began his speech at the inaugural session. The opposition staged protests inside the chamber, holding placards and chanting slogans before leaving. Later, at a press briefing, Dr. Rahman said they refused to listen to the President’s address because of what he described as three major offenses committed by him.

According to Dr. Rahman, the first offense was the President’s alleged complicity in killings during his tenure, as he did not protest or take action against them. The second was his contradictory statements about the resignation of a “fascist” prime minister, which Rahman said made him unfit for office. The third involved signing an ordinance related to the February 12 election and failing to convene the reform council session within the required time, which Rahman claimed insulted 70 percent of voters who supported the referendum.

Rahman added that the opposition had repeatedly rejected the President’s legitimacy and vowed to continue fighting for citizens’ rights in Parliament.

Bangladesh’s Leader of the Opposition and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr. Shafiqul Rahman stated that the country’s parliament had often been ineffective and symbolic under fascist control. Speaking on Thursday afternoon during a congratulatory address in the National Parliament, he said that in the 55 years since independence, the legislature had rarely functioned effectively. The session was presided over by Speaker Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.

Dr. Rahman paid tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in 1947, 1971, 1990, and the Shapla Chattar movement, as well as those who suffered during what he described as 15 and a half years of fascist rule. He said the current parliament stands on the blood of the 2024 struggle and congratulated both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal on their appointments.

He expressed hope that the Speaker, having resigned from his party’s standing committee, would act impartially for the nation’s welfare and ensure justice for all members. Rahman also noted the presence of many young members in the new parliament and described himself as a first-time participant.

An inscription discovered in 1964 at Sujangarh in Munshiganj, Bangladesh, has been identified as evidence of the oldest Islamic religious establishment in Bikrampur, dating back to the reign of King Bhojavarman of the Barman dynasty (circa 1137–1145 CE). The Sanskrit inscription, containing the term ‘Allabhattarakasvamijanaseetavihara,’ is preserved at the Bangladesh National Museum. Scholars interpret the word ‘Alla’ as a Sanskritized form of ‘Allah,’ suggesting the existence of a mosque-like institution, possibly with an attached madrasa, long before the Turkish conquest of Bengal in 1205 CE.

The inscription records a financial endowment authorized by King Bhojavarman in his seventh regnal year and mediated by a subordinate named Abhudeva, whose name reflects Arabic influence. Later analyses by scholars, including Ryozuke Furui of the University of Tokyo, have highlighted the inscription’s significance as evidence of early Muslim presence in Bengal through trade rather than conquest. It also reflects the cultural pluralism of the Barman rulers, who supported Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic institutions.

This finding reinforces the historical narrative of religious coexistence and multicultural exchange in twelfth-century Bengal, illustrating how early Bengal society accommodated diverse faiths within its political and cultural framework.

A Dhaka court has sentenced Md. Jahangir Hossain to life imprisonment for raping a widow under the false promise of marriage in the capital’s Kafrul area. The verdict was delivered on Thursday, March 12, 2026, by Judge Munshi Md. Moshiyar Rahman of the Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-4. Along with the life sentence, the court imposed a fine of Tk 200,000, to be recovered by selling the convict’s movable or immovable property and handed over to the victim.

According to the prosecution, the convict was acquainted with the victim, whose husband had died 11 months before the incident. Jahangir developed a romantic relationship with her and raped her on January 15, 2018, and again on January 17, 2019, after promising marriage. The victim later became pregnant, and DNA tests confirmed that Jahangir was the father of her son. The court also ordered that the convict’s property be seized to provide maintenance for the child until he turns 21, with the state covering expenses if necessary.

The tribunal heard testimony from five prosecution witnesses before delivering the verdict.

Mia Golam Parwar, Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami and candidate for Khulna-5 constituency, has filed a petition in the High Court challenging the result of the 13th National Parliamentary Election. He alleged vote manipulation in the constituency and sought judicial review of the outcome. The petition is scheduled for hearing before the single bench of Justice Md Zakir Hossain on Thursday.

In the Khulna-5 seat, BNP candidate Mohammad Ali Asgar was declared the winner. Under Section 49 of the Representation of the People Order, the High Court forms an election tribunal to hear petitions related to alleged electoral irregularities. Justice Md Zakir Hossain is presiding over the hearings of such petitions.

The case will determine whether the allegations of vote rigging in Khulna-5 warrant further legal proceedings or a review of the election result.

Bangladesh Bank has declared that selling new currency notes as commercial products is entirely illegal. The bank’s Executive Director and spokesperson, Arif Hossain Khan, made the statement to journalists on Thursday, warning that any officials from Bangladesh Bank or commercial banks found involved in such activities will face disciplinary measures. Law enforcement agencies will also take action against individuals engaged in the illegal sale of new notes.

Khan explained that while there is always demand for new notes during festivals, people should move away from this practice as the country advances toward a cashless economy. He emphasized that new notes are not commodities to be traded and reiterated that any supply of new notes for sale from banking institutions would result in administrative action against those responsible.

The announcement underscores Bangladesh Bank’s effort to curb illegal currency trading and promote digital financial practices in line with its broader cashless Bangladesh initiative.

The Bangladesh Navy has intensified security measures across the country’s maritime boundaries and sea routes to ensure the safety of fuel-carrying vessels. According to a statement issued on Thursday, naval patrols and surveillance have been reinforced in areas near Chattogram port, deep-sea zones, and key maritime routes used for energy transport. The initiative aims to safeguard vessels carrying LNG, LPG, petrol, diesel, jet fuel, and crude oil, thereby maintaining uninterrupted import and export operations.

As part of the enhanced security, warships and high-speed boats have been deployed, while maritime patrol aircraft and helicopters continue aerial surveillance. These platforms are being used for continuous monitoring, enabling safe anchoring, navigation, and port operations for fuel carriers. The Navy clarified that no specific sabotage threats have been identified, describing the move as a precautionary measure to strengthen national energy transport security.

Special operational teams have also been kept ready to counter potential sabotage, piracy, smuggling, or other illegal activities. The Navy is coordinating with port authorities, the Coast Guard, law enforcement agencies, and energy companies to ensure comprehensive maritime security.