A Dhaka court recorded the confessional statement of Mohammad Nuruzzaman Mithu, one of the accused in the case filed over the rape of a college student in a launch cabin. The statement was recorded on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, by Metropolitan Magistrate Siddiq Azad. On the same day, the court granted a five-day remand for the other accused, Mohammad Sakib Uddin. Both accused were produced before the court earlier in the day. Nuruzzaman voluntarily agreed to give a confessional statement, after which the investigating officer, Inspector Mohammad Mashiul Alam of Kotwali Police Station, applied to record it. The officer also sought a seven-day remand for Sakib, but the court approved five days. The case was filed by the victim’s brother at Kotwali Police Station on Monday night. According to the case details, the 17-year-old college student was raped on Sunday while traveling on the Farhan-4 launch from Hatiya’s Tamruddin terminal to Dhaka. The investigation into the incident is ongoing under police supervision.

A madrasa student was allegedly abducted and tortured overnight in Sherpur upazila of Bogura district, reportedly over a dispute related to a badminton game. The 13-year-old victim, identified as Swapnil, was taken from in front of a local hotel on Thursday night, held for seven hours, stripped, beaten, and filmed. The attackers also cut his hair and demanded 50,000 taka from his family. After the assault, his family rescued him and admitted him to Sherpur Upazila Health Complex. Local residents identified several suspects aged between 17 and 26, including individuals named Sad, Sufian, Alvi, Siam, and Jayen. Police confirmed that one suspect, Alvi, was detained after angry locals surrounded an office where the accused were believed to be hiding and handed him over to law enforcement. The incident has sparked widespread outrage in the area, prompting police involvement and community demands for justice.

Iran has launched a new wave of attacks, firing hypersonic missiles along with three other types of missiles in its 34th round of strikes. According to a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) cited by the semi-official Mehr News Agency, the attacks targeted Israeli and American military sites across the Middle East. The IRGC stated that the strikes were directed at US military installations near Al-Dhafra air base in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and Juffair air base in Bahrain. In addition, Israel’s Ramat David air base and Haifa’s civilian airport were also targeted. The report, sourced from Al Jazeera, did not specify the scale of damage or casualties. The use of hypersonic missiles, which can travel at speeds exceeding five times the speed of sound, marks an escalation in Iran’s regional military actions, though further details on the outcomes of the strikes were not provided in the report.

US President Donald Trump issued a sharp warning to Iran on Tuesday, saying that any attempt by Tehran to block oil exports from the region would trigger a response twenty times harsher than before. The statement came after Iran threatened to halt oil shipments, prompting Trump to assert that the United States had already inflicted significant damage on Iran’s military and that the conflict would end before his four-week deadline expired. The tension follows the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s new supreme leader, signaling a tougher stance from Tehran. Despite the escalation, Trump’s assurance of a quick end to the conflict led to a notable drop in global oil prices and affected stock markets. The Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes, remains largely paralyzed due to the ongoing hostilities. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards dismissed Trump’s remarks as nonsense, insisting that Tehran would decide when the war ends. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also ruled out any possibility of renewed talks with the United States.

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has prepared a preliminary squad for upcoming friendly matches against France and Croatia as part of the team’s World Cup preparations. Brazilian media outlets reported that Neymar Junior was included in the draft list but may not make the final selection. The Italian coach plans to observe players closely before announcing the final squad on Monday. Neymar, who recently suffered another muscle injury, missed Santos’ match against Mirassol, which Ancelotti attended from the stands. Local reports suggest that his absence from this game could cost him a place in Brazil’s friendly lineup. However, Neymar is expected to play against Corinthians in the Brazilian Serie A next Sunday, his only chance to prove fitness before the final squad announcement. Brazil will face France on March 26 and Croatia on April 1 as part of their pre-World Cup schedule.

Two farmers abducted early Monday morning in Ramu upazila of Cox’s Bazar were rescued later the same day in a joint operation by police and local residents. According to police sources, around 4:50 a.m. in Eidgarh Union’s Dhumshakata area, unidentified abductors took Mahmudul Haque, 47, and Syed Kasim, 42, while they were guarding a paddy field from elephant attacks. The victims were reportedly taken deep into a hilly area. Following the abduction, under the direction of the district police superintendent, Ramu Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Monirul Islam Bhuiyan led a daylong search operation with support from the Eidgarh police camp and local residents. Around 7:30 p.m. the same day, the two farmers were found unharmed in a remote hilly region of Dhumshakata. Police stated that the rescued individuals were handed over to their families after completing necessary legal procedures. Efforts to identify and arrest the abductors are continuing.

Prime Minister Tareq Rahman will inaugurate a nationwide program for the excavation and re-excavation of rivers, canals, and water bodies on March 16. The launch event will take place in Kaharol upazila of Dinajpur district, as confirmed by State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam after a meeting with the Prime Minister on March 10. According to the state minister, the initiative will be formally launched in 54 other districts on the same day, with local ministers and members of parliament leading the events alongside local administrations. The program is designed as a four-year project aimed at excavating 20,000 kilometers of canals, in line with the Prime Minister’s electoral pledge. The announcement underscores the government’s focus on improving water management and rural infrastructure through large-scale excavation efforts across the country.

The government has launched the Family Card program to strengthen the economic position and confidence of women-led households, with mobile financial service Nagad playing a key role in fund distribution. Prime Minister Tarek Rahman inaugurated the initiative on Tuesday morning at Karail slum, where 6,451 families across 13 districts received a total of Tk 16.2 million through Nagad in the pilot phase. The program, a pre-election pledge, aims to provide Tk 2,500 monthly financial assistance to poor families in various districts and city corporation areas. Initially, it is being implemented in 15 wards across city corporations, municipalities, and unions in 13 districts. Data from 51,805 families were collected, followed by field verification to prevent duplicate or ineligible beneficiaries, such as government employees or pensioners. Priority is given to women-headed families to enhance the financial capacity of marginalized women. Officials from Nagad expressed gratitude to the government for selecting the service to distribute funds under this flagship initiative, which is expected to improve living standards for low-income households.

India has imposed strict controls on natural and cooking gas supplies due to disruptions in liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments caused by the ongoing war involving Iran, Israel, and the United States. The directive, issued by the Indian Ministry of Energy, aims to ensure balanced distribution and uninterrupted supply to priority sectors. Restaurant owners have expressed concern that the restrictions could force widespread closures across the country. According to the ministry’s order, LNG supply will prioritize households, the transport sector, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) production. Other sectors such as fertilizer and tea industries will receive only 70 to 80 percent of their usual gas demand, depending on availability. To offset the shortfall, gas supplies to petrochemical plants and power stations will be reduced partially or entirely. Several Indian industries, including ceramics and tiles, have already reported reduced gas supply affecting production. Restaurants and hotels across India fear operational disruptions as the government continues to prioritize domestic gas use amid the Middle East conflict.

Iran has carried out attacks targeting Israel’s oil and gas infrastructure, according to a spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Armed Forces Headquarters. The strikes reportedly hit refineries and storage tanks in the northern city of Haifa, as well as a satellite communication center near Tel Aviv. The announcement was made on March 11, 2026. Iran’s military stated that the operation was part of the 33rd phase of its campaign named “Operation True Promise-4.” The attacks were described as retaliation for earlier strikes on Iranian oil depots. The report was cited by Al Jazeera and published by the outlet Amar Desh Online. The incident marks another escalation in the ongoing hostilities between Iran and Israel, with both sides targeting critical energy and communication infrastructure in recent exchanges.

The United States has warned Russia not to become involved in the ongoing Iran war. The warning came after a telephone conversation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. Following the call, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the discussion as a strong message from Washington to Moscow. According to CNN, Hegseth said the phone conversation created an opportunity for some calm in the Ukraine war. He confirmed that Russia was cautioned during the call not to engage in the Iran conflict. Earlier, CNN had reported, citing related sources, that Russia had been providing Iran with intelligence on U.S. military targets. The development comes amid heightened regional tensions, with reports of missile launches by Iran and threats of stronger U.S. retaliation if oil exports are disrupted.

China has released its 141-page 15th Five-Year Plan, presented at the National People’s Congress on March 5, outlining an ambitious strategy to dominate next-generation technologies, raw materials, and industries. The plan positions artificial intelligence (AI) as a central pillar across the economy, with goals to double humanoid robotics production within five years, accelerate quantum communication and nuclear fusion research, and advance brain-computer interface technologies. It also projects AI-related industries to exceed 10 trillion yuan in value during the plan’s term. Analyst Shanaka Anselm Perera described the plan as a national technological mobilization rather than a mere economic policy, calling it a “war plan” that contrasts with the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. While Washington focuses mainly on semiconductor production, Beijing’s approach spans AI integration across heavy industry and services, investment in quantum computing, and control over critical raw materials, especially rare earth elements. The plan strengthens China’s grip on rare mineral processing and export controls, potentially challenging U.S. defense supply chains that depend on these materials for systems like the F-35 fighter jet. Analysts warn this could reshape future power dynamics long before any battlefield confrontation.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has relieved Professor Dr. Mahmudul Hasan of his duties as the Amir’s foreign affairs adviser for violating party directives. He has been replaced by Barrister Mir Ahmad Bin Kasem Arman, a Member of Parliament from Dhaka-14. The decision was announced on Tuesday through a statement by Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar. According to the statement, Mahmudul Hasan sent a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that included matters not authorized by the party leadership. The letter, signed by Jamaat Amir Shafiqur Rahman and sent on February 22, had proposed appointing the opposition leader’s foreign affairs adviser as an adviser to the foreign minister to enhance cooperation and balance in international relations. The party viewed this as a deviation from its approved instructions. The statement emphasized Jamaat’s commitment to responsible, transparent, and accountable political conduct, noting that corrective measures had already been taken to prevent further misunderstanding within or outside the party.

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has reported that around 80,000 people have crossed from Lebanon into Syria since Israeli attacks began. UNHCR spokesperson Celine Schmitt told Syria’s state news agency SANA that many families left Lebanon in haste, often without being able to take personal belongings. Most of those displaced are currently staying with relatives in Syria. According to Schmitt, no formal requests for emergency shelter have been registered so far. The report highlights the rapid movement of civilians amid escalating violence and the humanitarian challenges faced by those seeking safety across the border. The situation underscores growing regional instability and the potential for further displacement if hostilities continue, though UNHCR has not yet indicated any new assistance measures.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has issued a strong warning to Iran over what Ankara described as an unacceptable violation of its airspace. According to Al Jazeera, Fidan delivered the warning during a phone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The Turkish National Defense Ministry reported that a ballistic missile was intercepted on Monday with support from NATO’s air defense system. Following the interception, Fidan told his Iranian counterpart that Turkey would not hesitate to take all necessary measures to prevent further airspace violations. In response, Araghchi reiterated Iran’s position, denying that the missile was launched from Iranian territory and assuring a full investigation into the incident, according to related sources. The report noted that this was the second missile incident targeting Turkey since the United States and Israel began military action against Iran on February 28.