US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told a congressional hearing that Iran’s governing system remains intact but has been severely weakened following recent US and Israeli attacks. The hearing, lasting over two hours, marked the first public intelligence briefing since the Iran war began in late February. Gabbard testified alongside the heads of the CIA, FBI, NSA, and Defense Intelligence Agency, stating that US intelligence had anticipated tensions in the Strait of Hormuz before the conflict. The session followed the resignation of National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, who argued that Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States. President Donald Trump, however, defended the strikes, claiming Iran was developing nuclear weapons that endangered the US and Israel. CIA Director John Ratcliffe disagreed with Kent, asserting that Iran remains an immediate threat. Gabbard’s written statement indicated that Iran’s nuclear enrichment program was devastated by the 12-day war in June 2025, though she omitted that section during her oral testimony. Lawmakers questioned whether intelligence officials were present when Trump decided to attack Iran and whether the administration had prior warnings about possible Iranian actions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Heavy traffic congestion has been reported on the Dhaka–Mymensingh and Dhaka–Tangail highways in Gazipur on Thursday morning, as vehicles moved intermittently amid the Eid travel rush. Long queues stretched for several kilometers, particularly around the Chandra intersection, leaving passengers stranded for hours. Transport operators cited excessive vehicle pressure, random parking, and wrong-way driving by autorickshaws as major causes. Passengers also alleged that transport companies were charging extra fares. Overnight rain worsened the situation by creating muddy conditions and waterlogging in several parts of the highways. Crowded roadsides, disorganized parking, and people boarding vehicles on the road further narrowed the lanes, slowing traffic. Areas including Kabirpur, Chandra, Kaliakoir, Board Bazar, Bhogra Bypass, and Chandna Chowrasta experienced severe slowdowns. Police officials said the congestion intensified after garment factories closed on Wednesday afternoon, prompting large numbers of workers and residents to leave Gazipur. Additional police, volunteers, and other agencies were deployed to ease the situation, but traffic remained slow due to high passenger volume and poor road conditions.

The U.S. Department of Defense has requested more than $200 billion from the White House to finance the ongoing war with Iran, according to a senior American official cited in the report. The proposal, submitted for approval, is expected to face resistance from anti-war lawmakers. The requested amount far exceeds the costs of previous airstrike operations conducted by the administration. White House officials reportedly remain uncertain whether Congress will approve such a large allocation, as war expenditures have already been rising at an unusually rapid pace. The report notes that spending surpassed $11 billion within the first week of the conflict. Analysts attribute the escalating costs to the use of advanced technology, missile defense systems, drone operations, and long-range strikes. The conflict has intensified amid a three-way confrontation involving Iran, the United States, and Israel. Following joint U.S.-Israeli attacks inside Iran, Tehran launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes on Gulf states and Israel, prompting heightened military readiness across the region.

Iran’s Ministry of Health announced that 206 individuals under the age of 18 have been killed and 1,401 injured in joint United States–Israel attacks since February 28. The ministry’s statement, released Wednesday, also reported that 227 women were among the dead, with an additional 3,329 injured. It said 1,111 wounded people remain hospitalized, while 19,506 have been treated and discharged. According to the statement, 18 healthcare workers were killed and 101 injured, and 36 ambulances were damaged. Six hospitals were evacuated, and 47 emergency bases, 37 medical centers, and 180 health facilities were affected. The ministry did not specify the total number of deaths from the ongoing attacks. The joint assault, launched by Israel and the United States on February 28, has sharply escalated the conflict, with reports indicating around 1,300 total deaths, including Iran’s then–Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran has responded with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries.

Train operations in northern Bangladesh resumed after a 21-hour suspension following the derailment of the Nilshagar Express near Santahar in Bogura. The incident occurred around 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, about two kilometers north of Santahar station. Services were restored at 11:20 a.m. on Thursday, March 19, when the Khulna-bound Simanta Express departed from Chilahati using a newly repaired track. Authorities reported that at least one hundred people were injured in the derailment, many of them passengers who jumped from the train roof in panic. Fire service teams, assisted by local residents, carried out rescue operations, sending 50 to 60 injured passengers to Naogaon General Hospital and Adamdighi Upazila Health Complex. Four fire service units and a relief train from Ishwardi Junction participated in the recovery of nine derailed coaches. Following the incident, the assistant station master at Santahar was temporarily suspended, and a four-member investigation committee was formed to determine the cause of the accident.

Fifteen people were injured when a passenger bus and a watermelon-laden truck collided head-on on the Dhaka-Barishal highway in Madaripur on Thursday morning. The accident occurred around 6:30 a.m. in the Tatibari area of Sadar upazila. The bus, operated by Bagdad Paribahan, was traveling from Dhaka to Barishal with passengers heading home for the Eid holidays when it crashed with the oncoming truck. Both drivers and several passengers were among the injured, who were taken to Madaripur Sadar Hospital and other nearby facilities. Following the collision, traffic on the highway was halted for about an hour. Fire service and highway police personnel later cleared the vehicles and restored normal traffic flow. According to the officer-in-charge of the Mostafapur Highway Police Station, the situation has since been brought under control and vehicular movement has returned to normal.

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has told lawmakers that Pakistan’s advancing missile program could eventually bring the US mainland within its strike range. Speaking at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on global threats, she said Islamabad’s efforts to develop long-range ballistic missiles may evolve into intercontinental systems capable of targeting the United States. Gabbard highlighted the expanding scope of strategic risks, noting that Pakistan’s long-range missile development could include intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of striking US soil. She grouped Pakistan with Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran as nations actively developing advanced missile technologies alongside cyber and kinetic warfare capabilities. The remarks underscore growing US concern over the proliferation of long-range missile systems and the potential emergence of Pakistan as a new strategic threat if its program continues to advance.

Chinese AI startup MiniMax has released its new proprietary large language model, MiniMax M2.7, which can autonomously manage 30 to 50 percent of its own reinforcement learning research workflow. The model, designed for powering AI agents and third-party tools such as Claude Code and OpenClaw, marks a major step toward self-improving AI systems. MiniMax reports that M2.7 can autonomously debug, analyze metrics, and optimize its own code through iterative loops, achieving a 66.6 percent medal rate in machine learning competitions and matching performance levels of leading global models. Compared to its predecessor M2.5, M2.7 shows significant improvements in software engineering, professional office tasks, and hallucination reduction. It matches top-tier benchmarks like GPT-5.3-Codex while maintaining one of the lowest operational costs among frontier AI models. The model is available through the MiniMax API and integrates with over 11 major developer tools, including Cursor, Zed, and Kilo Code. MiniMax’s move toward proprietary models aligns with a broader industry trend among Chinese AI firms shifting from open-source to closed systems. The company positions M2.7 as a cost-efficient, production-ready model for enterprises seeking AI-driven automation and self-optimizing agent workflows.

State Minister for Shipping Md. Rajib Ahsan announced that the route permits of two launches involved in the recent Sadarghat accident have been cancelled. He made the statement after visiting the accident site at Sadarghat Launch Terminal on the night of March 18, 2026, where one person was killed and another injured. The minister said those responsible for the tragedy will face exemplary punishment. According to the minister, the Ministry of Shipping and the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) have each formed separate investigation committees to determine the cause of the accident. The ministry’s committee is headed by Additional Secretary (Organization) Abul Islam, while BIWTA’s committee is led by Director (Administration) Saiful Islam. Both committees have been instructed to submit their reports within three working days. Representatives from BIWTA, the Department of Shipping, Fire Service, and River Police are included in the ministry’s committee. The minister added that the injured victims are members of the same family from Mehendiganj in Barishal, including a pregnant woman. The government has ensured advanced medical care for them and promised maximum support to the deceased’s family.

Foreign ministers from twelve Arab and Muslim countries have jointly called on Iran to stop its attacks and comply with international law. The appeal was issued in a joint statement following a meeting held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The ministers condemned Iran’s assaults on Jordan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, stating that residential areas, oil facilities, desalination plants, airports, housing complexes, and diplomatic zones had been targeted. The ministers also denounced Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and reaffirmed their support for Lebanon’s security, stability, and territorial integrity. The joint statement came amid a period of heightened regional tension, as Iran has been carrying out strikes on energy infrastructure across the Gulf region. According to the report, Iran’s state media has accused the United States and Israel of attacking its oil and natural gas production centers. The statement was issued on behalf of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.

The Bangladesh Jewellers Association (BAJUS) has announced another reduction in gold prices ahead of Eid. In a notice issued on Thursday, March 19, 2026, the association lowered the price of 22-carat gold by 7,640 taka per bhori, setting the new rate at 264,625 taka. The revised prices took effect from 10 a.m. the same day. BAJUS stated that the adjustment was made due to a decline in the local market price of pure gold. According to the new pricing, 21-carat gold now costs 250,368 taka per bhori, 18-carat gold 214,618 taka, and traditional gold 174,785 taka. The last price adjustment occurred on March 14, when BAJUS reduced the price by 2,683 taka per bhori. So far this year, gold prices in Bangladesh have been adjusted 44 times, with 26 increases and 18 decreases. In 2025, the market saw 93 adjustments, including 64 increases and 29 reductions. The latest price cut reflects continued volatility in the domestic gold market as BAJUS responds to fluctuations in pure gold prices.

Lionel Messi achieved a major career milestone by scoring his 900th goal in professional football, becoming the second player in history to reach this mark. The milestone came after a two-match break, during Inter Miami’s home leg against Nashville SC in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Despite Messi’s early goal in the seventh minute, the match ended 1-1, resulting in Miami’s elimination from the tournament’s round of 16. The first leg between the teams in Nashville had ended goalless. In the return leg, Messi’s strike gave Miami a lead that lasted until the 74th minute, when Argentine forward Cristian Espinoza equalized for Nashville. Due to the away-goal rule, Nashville advanced to the next round while Inter Miami were knocked out. Messi’s 900th goal places him alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, who first reached the milestone in September 2024. However, the achievement was overshadowed by Miami’s tournament exit on home soil.

In February, 26-year-old Zubin Nath from Assam’s Chirang district died in an accident at a tile factory in Bengaluru, where he had worked for nearly five years. His father said he was informed that Zubin fell into a machine and died instantly. The next day, his body was brought home with the help of a contractor. Despite the tragedy, his death received little public attention. According to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, 162 migrant workers from the state have died between September and February while working outside Assam. Opposition legislator Akhil Gogoi noted that the issue has received minimal political attention ahead of the state assembly elections. Residents from Cachar district reported multiple deaths in illegal coal mines in Meghalaya, while nine tribal workers from Karbi Anglong and Hojai died in a Chennai industrial accident last September. Experts and opposition leaders argue that the exodus of workers exposes the lack of employment opportunities in Assam. Many rural residents, particularly from tribal and Muslim communities, are forced into hazardous jobs outside the state due to failed government projects and declining agricultural livelihoods.

Thousands of Eid travelers faced severe traffic congestion and rain on the Dhaka-Tangail highway beginning Wednesday afternoon, March 18, 2026. The gridlock stretched about 20 kilometers from Konabari in Gazipur to Chandra in Kaliakoir by Thursday morning. Many passengers, unable to find transport due to the rain and vehicle shortages, returned home Wednesday night and resumed their journeys Thursday. Some buses to northern regions took all night to reach destinations, delaying their return and worsening the transport shortage. Gazipur transport officials said the congestion was partly caused by buses stopping in Chandra to pick up passengers, blocking lanes. The industrial police reported that 833 garment factories were beginning their fourth phase of Eid holidays, which was expected to ease traffic later in the day. Law enforcement agencies were deployed to manage the situation. Meanwhile, the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway cleared overnight after earlier rain-related congestion. Authorities fined several transport operators for overcharging passengers during the disruption, helping restore normalcy by Thursday morning.

India’s long-standing policy of ‘strategic autonomy’—maintaining balanced relations with major global powers—faces new challenges amid rising tensions involving Iran. For over a decade, New Delhi has engaged with multiple blocs, including the Quad with the United States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization with China, BRICS with Russia, and I2U2 with Israel and the UAE. The approach has aimed to protect national interests without overdependence on any single partner. Recent developments around Iran have disrupted this balance, particularly affecting India’s priorities of ensuring expatriate safety, countering terrorism in neighboring states, and securing oil and gas supplies. Although diplomatic efforts have intensified, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar contacting Iranian leaders, only two Indian gas tankers have been cleared to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Reuters reported that 22 Indian vessels remain detained in the region. The release of these ships may depend on India returning three seized Iranian vessels or sending medical supplies to Tehran. However, such moves risk straining India’s ties with Washington, which previously allowed limited Russian oil purchases under specific conditions.