The High Court has granted bail to former Chief Justice A B M Khairul Haque in four cases involving verdict forgery, murder, and other charges. The order was issued on Sunday by a bench comprising Justice Md Khairul Alam and Justice Md Saghir Hossain. Earlier, on October 26 of the previous year, another High Court bench had issued a rule asking why Haque should not be granted bail in five cases, including those filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Haque was arrested from his Dhanmondi residence on July 24 of the previous year by the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police and was later sent to jail in connection with the murder of Jubo Dal activist Abdul Kaiyum Ahad during the July movement. Haque served as Chief Justice from October 1, 2010, to May 17, 2011, and led the Appellate Division bench that declared the 13th Amendment unconstitutional, abolishing the caretaker government system.

After retiring, he was appointed Chairman of the Law Commission in 2013 and reappointed several times. Following the fall of the Awami League government in August 2024, he resigned and subsequently faced multiple cases alleging corruption and verdict forgery.

Swiss Ambassador to Bangladesh Reto Renggli paid a courtesy call on Sheikh Robiul Alam MP, the minister in charge of road transport, bridges, railways, and shipping. The meeting took place in Dhaka, where Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary Dr. Mohammad Ziaul Haque was also present. During the discussion, the ambassador congratulated the current government of Bangladesh and expressed Switzerland’s interest in deepening bilateral ties based on mutual interests and cooperation.

Renggli highlighted Switzerland’s long-standing friendship with Bangladesh and its willingness to further strengthen relations, particularly in infrastructure development, technology, port management, and various development projects. He assured continued Swiss cooperation and support in these sectors. Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam welcomed the ambassador and emphasized that Bangladesh’s rapid progress in development and infrastructure requires strong international partnerships.

Both sides agreed to maintain regular communication and collaboration to make Bangladesh–Switzerland relations more dynamic and mutually beneficial in the future.

A 26-year-old man was killed in a mob beating early Sunday, March 8, 2026, in the Jalakuri Koraitola area of Siddhirganj, Narayanganj. According to local reports, three men arrived on a motorcycle and attempted to rob a pedestrian at knifepoint. When residents intervened, two of the suspects fled, leaving one behind who was caught and beaten to death by the crowd. The motorcycle used in the attempted robbery was later set on fire by the angry mob.

Siddhirganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Abdul Barik confirmed that the suspect died before police arrived at the scene. Authorities have not yet identified the deceased but are working to determine his identity.

Police investigations are ongoing to identify the victim and locate the two other suspects who escaped.

Bangladesh’s Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan announced that no decorative lighting will be allowed across the country on March 26, the Independence and National Day, to conserve energy and prevent potential fuel shortages. He made the statement on March 8, 2026, following a law and order review meeting at the Ministry of Home Affairs ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.

The minister said all necessary preparations have been made to celebrate the day with due respect. Security will be strengthened at the National Memorial to ensure smooth tributes from the President, Prime Minister, cabinet members, and various political and social organizations. He also confirmed that March 25 will be observed as Genocide Day with appropriate solemnity.

In the same briefing, the minister outlined coordinated measures to ensure smooth Eid travel and timely payment of wages and bonuses for garment workers, with the Industrial Police serving as the focal point for coordination among relevant agencies.

Maize cultivation in Sherpur’s Sreebordi upazila has reached record levels this season, with 1,315 hectares brought under cultivation across ten unions—an increase of about 600 hectares from last year. Favorable weather conditions have raised expectations of a bumper harvest, according to local agricultural officials. Farmers in key unions such as Kakilakura, Velua, Sreebordi Sadar, and Tatihati have led the expansion.

Officials noted that rising demand for maize as food, livestock, and poultry feed, along with its relatively low susceptibility to pests, has encouraged farmers to shift from rice to maize. Farmers reported average yields of 30 to 35 maunds per bigha, with production costs around 25,000 taka per bigha. They also use maize stalks as fuel and leaves as cattle feed, making the crop more profitable than rice.

However, some farmers complained that fertilizer shortages and high DAP prices could reduce profits. The upazila agriculture officer described maize as a highly profitable crop with low maintenance needs and said its cultivation is likely to continue increasing if its diverse uses expand further.

The National Nari Shakti, a women's organization under the National Citizen Party (NCP), was officially launched at an event held at the Sagar-Runi Auditorium of the Dhaka Reporters Unity in Segunbagicha on Sunday morning. The event, titled “Emergence of Women’s Power and Remedies for Increasing Violence Against Women and Justice for Rape,” marked the formal beginning of the new platform.

NCP convener and opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam, who is also the Member of Parliament for Dhaka-11, attended as the chief guest. In her remarks, she stated that efforts would be made to find the women’s voices that have gone missing across the country since July. The program focused on addressing the growing incidents of violence against women and ensuring justice for victims.

The launch of National Nari Shakti signals the NCP’s intent to strengthen its engagement on women’s rights and social justice issues through organized advocacy and awareness initiatives.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has alleged that Sheikh Hasina, despite fleeing abroad over crimes against humanity, has shown no remorse and is attempting to destabilize Bangladesh from outside the country. He made the remarks on Sunday afternoon while speaking at the inauguration of the documentary film 'Mayer Dak'.

During his speech, the BNP Secretary General said he would write to the Prime Minister urging the government to provide allowances to families who lost members in past struggles. He emphasized that while many have achieved positions of power, the children of those who sacrificed remain in uncertainty, and supporting them would give true meaning to the government’s existence.

Fakhrul also highlighted the importance of accurately portraying history in new film projects and expressed regret that, apart from the language movement, many national struggles have not been adequately represented in literature or poetry. He hoped that the current movement would achieve global recognition through truthful cultural representation.

A construction worker named Nairul Islam, aged 26, was killed when a wall collapsed on him during drain construction work in the Courtpara neighborhood near the Dhaka bus stand area of Chapainawabganj municipality on Sunday, March 8, 2026, around 11 a.m. The deceased was the son of the late Saiful Islam from Begula village in Gobratala Union of Sadar upazila.

According to local sources, Nairul had been working on a municipal drainage project since morning when a nearby residential wall suddenly collapsed, burying him underneath. He died on the spot as a result of the incident. Police from Chapainawabganj Sadar Model Police Station later visited the site.

Officer-in-Charge Nure Alam confirmed that legal procedures are underway following the fatal accident, which occurred during the ongoing drain construction work.

Eight fuel-carrying ships transporting LNG, LPG, and chemical products have reached Bangladesh’s maritime boundary and Chattogram Port after crossing the Hormuz Strait. Four of the vessels have already anchored at the outer mooring, while the remaining four are expected to arrive by March 14. The Chattogram Port Authority confirmed the arrivals on Sunday, noting that the ships successfully passed through the Hormuz Strait on February 28, before the onset of conflict in Iran and the Middle East.

According to port sources, the shipments include LNG carriers from Qatar’s Ras Laffan Port and LPG and chemical carriers from Oman’s Sohar Port. The vessels Al Zour, Al Jasassiya, Lusail, and others brought tens of thousands of tons of LNG and LPG. Two Liberia-flagged ships carrying LNG are also due to dock on March 11 and 14. The port authority stated that fuel vessels are being given priority for berthing and unloading to ensure timely handling.

The arrival of these ships is part of a total of 15 vessels that recently entered Bangladesh’s waters carrying energy and industrial raw materials.

In Jhenaidah, angry students set fire to three buses and vandalized a fuel pump on Saturday night following the killing of Al Miraj Nirab, chief organizer of the Jhenaidah Sadar unit of the anti-discrimination student movement. Police said Nirab was beaten to death by workers at Taj Filling Station after an argument over fuel purchase. The incident triggered violent protests at the central bus terminal, where buses of J Line, JR, and Royal Paribahan were burned. Firefighters later brought the blaze under control.

At the same time, protesters attacked and vandalized Srijoni Fuel Pump at Arappur Bus Stand, owned by Awami League leader Harunur Rashid. Abu Hasnat Tanaim, joint member secretary of The Red July organization, condemned the killing and demanded a fair investigation and exemplary punishment for those responsible. Nirab’s foster father, Abul Kashem, also demanded justice, saying his son was beaten for protesting discriminatory fuel sales.

Police reported that the situation is now under control, with additional forces, RAB, and army patrols deployed across Jhenaidah to prevent further unrest.

A case has been filed against Nasiruddin Patwari, chief coordinator of the NCP, for allegedly making defamatory and threatening remarks against Mirza Abbas Uddin Ahmed, the Prime Minister’s political adviser and a BNP Standing Committee member. The case was lodged on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Hasan Shahadat by Md Ashraful Islam, president of the Ramna unit of the Nationalist Party. The plaintiff’s lawyer, Md Amirul Islam Amir, confirmed that the application had been submitted and that a hearing on its admissibility would take place later in the day.

According to the complaint, Patwari had made false and defamatory statements during and after the 13th parliamentary election, in which he lost to Mirza Abbas. The plaintiff alleged that Patwari continued spreading such remarks through social media and online news outlets, including a Facebook post on March 5 that went viral. The statements reportedly damaged Mirza Abbas’s reputation and were described as offensive and uncivil. The complaint also requested the issuance of an arrest warrant against Patwari.

In Dinajpur’s Khansama upazila, the age-old practice of plowing fields with bulls is rapidly disappearing as modern agricultural machinery takes over. Once a common sight across rural Bangladesh, the bond between farmers and their cattle symbolized the country’s agrarian heritage. Today, tractors and power tillers dominate the fields, leaving only a few farmers still using bulls for plowing.

The shift reflects the broader transformation of Bangladesh’s agriculture through technological advancement. While modern tools have made farming faster and easier, they have also displaced traditional methods that were integral to rural life and culture. Agricultural experts note that bull-driven plowing remains an important part of the nation’s farming history and cultural identity.

Some observers believe that alongside embracing new technology, efforts should be made to preserve this traditional practice as a living symbol of Bangladesh’s rural heritage.

Bangladesh Bank’s latest report shows that while the country’s overall default loans fell by Tk 870 billion in the last quarter of the previous year, five merged banks saw their non-performing loans rise by Tk 65 billion. The combined default loans of these banks—Exim, Social Islami, First Security Islami, Global Islami, and Union Bank—reached Tk 1.66 trillion, accounting for 84.22 percent of their total loans.

Officials attributed the increase to financial misconduct by former bank leaders Nazrul Islam Mazumder and Saiful Alam, who allegedly took large sums under various names and failed to repay. The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit reported that S. Alam Group alone withdrew Tk 1.02 trillion from these banks. Persistent liquidity shortages and capital deficits led the government to merge the five institutions.

Bangladesh Bank has been working for a year on the merger, including legal and policy preparations, asset and liability reviews, and simulation exercises for a new state-owned Shariah-based bank. The merged entity will have Tk 350 billion in paid-up capital, of which Tk 200 billion will come from the government and Tk 150 billion from deposit-to-share conversions.

A sudden and severe shortage of petrol and octane has hit filling stations across Barishal city and surrounding areas since late Friday night. Motorists have been forced to return empty-handed as most stations display signs announcing the unavailability of fuel. Long queues formed at the few stations with limited supplies, leading to frustration and altercations between drivers and station staff.

Station owners attribute the crisis to panic buying, saying drivers are purchasing three to four times their usual fuel needs amid fears of a broader shortage linked to conflict in the Middle East. Some customers, however, accuse station owners of hoarding fuel for profit. Managers at several stations confirmed that petrol and octane stocks were depleted by Friday night, leaving only diesel available.

Officials from Meghna Petroleum’s Barishal depot said the shortage resulted from excessive demand rather than supply failure and assured that the situation should normalize within a few days once new shipments arrive.

At least 15 ships carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and raw materials for the cement industry have reached Bangladesh’s maritime boundary after crossing the Hormuz Strait. Twelve of the vessels have already arrived at Chattogram Port, while the remaining three are expected within the week. The ships managed to pass through the strait just before it was closed following a joint Israel–United States attack on Iran.

According to port and energy officials, the vessels include four carrying LNG, two with LPG, and nine transporting cement raw materials such as clinker, gypsum, limestone and stone. The arrivals have eased concerns over potential fuel shortages amid regional tensions. One LPG ship named Sevan arrived from Oman’s Sohar Port with 22,172 tons of LPG, while another, GYMM, carried 19,316 tons. Two LNG carriers, Al Zour and Al Jassaniya, arrived from Qatar with about 126,000 tons of LNG. Additional ships are expected from Qatar and other Gulf ports in the coming days.

Officials cautioned that risks remain, as two LNG carriers and one crude oil vessel are still stranded beyond the Hormuz Strait.