Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad announced that reading speeches directly from written texts is not permitted in the Bangladesh Parliament. He urged lawmakers to develop the habit of speaking without reading, addressing his remarks to Jamaat-e-Islami MP Masud Bin Saidi and Islami Andolan MP Oli Ullah during Sunday’s session. Both members had read their entire speeches from papers while participating in the discussion on the President’s address. The Speaker reminded them that parliamentary rules require prior permission before reading written statements. Masud Bin Saidi, elected from Pirojpur-1, pledged to uphold the trust of his constituents and follow the ideals of his late father, Allama Delwar Hossain Saidi. He emphasized justice, independence of education and judiciary, and a zero-tolerance policy against corruption, citing a Transparency International report on alleged misappropriation in the Roads and Highways Department. He also called for institutionalizing the renunciation of government privileges. Saidi further commented on the BNP’s decision not to take oath in the Constitution Reform Council, saying it created public confusion. He urged the party to respect the people’s mandate and participate in constitutional reform efforts.

The Israeli military announced that it has destroyed multiple command centers belonging to Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in Beirut. According to a statement released on Saturday, Israeli forces carried out operations across several areas of the Lebanese capital targeting these command centers. The military also reported strikes on several Hezbollah missile launch sites in the Al-Qatrani area of southern Lebanon. Reports indicate that casualties in Lebanon continue to rise following Israeli attacks. Since the joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28, at least 826 people have been killed in Lebanon. The ongoing conflict is increasingly spreading across the Middle East, drawing in multiple countries and armed groups and further complicating the regional situation. The developments mark a deepening of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, with growing concerns that the violence could expand beyond Lebanon and intensify instability across the region.

Bangladesh’s Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmad is traveling to Vienna to attend the two-day Global Fraud Summit 2026, jointly organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Interpol. The summit will be held at the Vienna International Conference Centre on March 16–17, 2026. According to a press release from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the minister will lead a five-member Bangladeshi delegation to the event. During the summit, Salahuddin Ahmad will participate in the opening and plenary sessions, as well as high-level roundtable meetings and special sessions as a panelist. On the sidelines, he is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with the Executive Director of UNODC and the Minister of State for the Home Department of the United Kingdom. The minister is departing Dhaka on March 15, 2026, at 4:50 p.m. via Ethiopian Airlines and is expected to return on March 20, 2026, at 5:35 a.m. on a Turkish Airlines flight.

Iran carried out overnight attacks across several Gulf countries on Saturday, according to regional reports. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense stated that its forces intercepted and destroyed 26 Iranian drones, mostly near the capital Riyadh and in the eastern region. The United Arab Emirates said its air defense systems were countering missile and drone attacks from Iran, with a fire breaking out at Fujairah port following a drone strike. Bahrain reported that warning sirens were sounded and residents were instructed to move to the nearest shelters. The United States ordered non-essential government employees and their families to leave Oman due to security concerns. Kuwait announced that its National Guard had downed five Iranian drones within the past 24 hours. Qatar said it had intercepted missile and drone attacks throughout Saturday but did not report any overnight strikes. The widespread attacks have heightened regional security tensions, prompting multiple Gulf states to activate defense systems and issue civilian safety alerts.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has extended the deadline for submitting online returns under the e-VAT system until March 29, 2026. The decision was announced in a letter signed by Nahid Naushad Mukul, the NBR’s First Secretary (Additional Charge), on March 15, 2026. According to the letter, the extension was granted in the public interest due to an extended government holiday period for Eid-ul-Fitr and Independence Day, as well as slower service performance in the e-VAT system. The NBR exercised its authority under Section 64(1a) of the Value Added Tax and Supplementary Duty Act, 2012, to implement this change. The new deadline applies specifically to the online return submissions for the February 2026 tax period under the e-VAT system.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will formally inaugurate the farmer card distribution program on Pahela Baishakh. The announcement followed a meeting held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat, where the Prime Minister presided over discussions on the initiative. According to the Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman, the meeting was attended by Agriculture Minister Aminur Rashid, State Minister Sultan Salauddin Tuku, Economic and Planning Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, ICT Adviser Rehan Asif Asad, and State Minister for Local Government, Cooperatives and Rural Development Mir Shahe Alam, among others. The meeting marked a key preparatory step for the upcoming launch, signaling the government’s focus on agricultural support and digital facilitation for farmers through the new card system.

A severe hailstorm struck Madhyanagar upazila in Sunamganj late Saturday night after three consecutive days of heavy rain, raising fears of extensive crop damage across the haor region. The storm, which lasted for more than ten minutes, caused widespread panic among residents as hailstones damaged crop fields and pierced tin roofs of houses in several villages. Continuous rainfall has already left low-lying haor lands waterlogged, threatening embankments built to protect ripening crops. Farmers reported that paddy plants had just begun to form ears, and such an untimely hailstorm had not occurred before this stage of the season. Many expressed deep concern over potential losses to boro paddy and other crops, while damaged homes have left families struggling to cope. Madhyanagar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ujjal Roy confirmed that both croplands and houses were affected and said data collection was underway. Authorities plan to identify households with damaged roofs and take necessary measures for assistance.

Three members of Iran’s women’s football team who had stayed in Australia on humanitarian visas have decided to return to Iran. Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced on Sunday that the players informed officials of their decision after being given multiple opportunities to discuss alternatives. Initially, seven team members had sought asylum, but only three now remain in Australia. The Iranian team had traveled to Australia in February for the Women’s Asian Cup, arriving before the outbreak of war in the Middle East on February 28. Out of the 26-member squad, six players and one support staff member initially stayed behind on humanitarian grounds. On March 9, the rest of the team departed Sydney for Kuala Lumpur, where they have been waiting. Two players and one support staff member are among those now returning. Iran’s Tasnim news agency described the return as a “shameful failure of the American-Australian project” and “another defeat for Trump,” reflecting Tehran’s political framing of the event.

At least 108 people were injured in Israel within the past 24 hours amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, according to the country’s Ministry of Health. The Times of Israel reported that all the injured individuals were hospitalized, though the exact causes of their injuries were not detailed by the ministry. Authorities indicated that some injuries may not have resulted directly from Iranian missile strikes or rockets fired from Lebanon, but rather from people getting hurt while rushing to shelters. The ministry also stated on social media platform X that since February 28, a total of 3,195 people have been hospitalized, with 81 still receiving treatment. The report noted that rising military tensions between Iran and Israel have led to repeated missile and rocket alerts across various parts of Israel, forcing civilians to seek shelter frequently.

Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Shahjahan Chowdhury has criticized the sound system and headphones used in Bangladesh’s National Parliament, alleging that the equipment was part of a scheme for financial misuse. Speaking during an unscheduled discussion on Sunday, he displayed the large headphones and said they were unnecessarily heavy and uncomfortable for members to wear for long periods. He claimed that the procurement might have been designed to benefit certain groups financially. The session, chaired by Speaker Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, followed earlier complaints about technical faults in the sound system during the first sitting of the new parliament on Thursday. That day, the Speaker had to use a handheld microphone after a malfunction forced a 20-minute recess. Several MPs had drawn attention to the issue, including Jamaat MP Barrister Mir Ahmad Bin Kasem, who wrote on Facebook that the headphones caused pain and had poor sound quality. Members urged modernization of the sound system and replacement of the current heavy headphones with simpler, more comfortable alternatives.

Iran has arrested 20 individuals in its northwestern region on charges of attempting to provide secret information to Israel. According to a report by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the arrests were made following an announcement from the prosecutor’s office in West Azerbaijan Province. The statement alleged that the detainees tried to send details about the locations of Iran’s military and security facilities to Israel. The prosecutor’s office said that several mercenary networks linked to the “Zionist regime” had been identified. These networks were allegedly transmitting information about military, law enforcement, and security installations to Israel. The 20 suspects were detained under a judicial order for their involvement in these activities. Earlier, Reuters reported that Israel had launched a new phase of attacks inside Iran based on information provided by local informants. The attacks reportedly targeted security checkpoints and strategic facilities within the country.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told Parliament on Sunday that implementing the referendum verdict related to the July Charter would require amending the Constitution. He made the remarks around 12:15 p.m. in response to opposition leader and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr. Shafiqur Rahman’s comments on the July Charter. The minister emphasized that the government would follow the Charter strictly within the framework of existing laws and the Constitution. Salahuddin Ahmed clarified that the President had convened a session of the National Parliament, not of any so-called “Reform Council.” He stated that under the current Constitution, no such council exists, and forming one would first require a constitutional amendment. The minister also noted that the legality of the proposed council under the July Charter has already been challenged in court, and a rule has been issued on the matter, which is now under judicial consideration. He added that only after parliamentary discussion and constitutional amendment could the council be formally established and its members sworn in, if deemed necessary.

India may postpone its planned trade agreement with the United States for several months, according to four unnamed Indian sources cited by Reuters. The delay follows a new U.S. investigation into alleged excess industrial production capacity among trade partners, which has heightened tensions between the two countries. India had expected to sign an interim deal in March before finalizing a broader agreement, but the timeline has now been pushed back. Officials from both sides said they remain in contact to pursue a mutually beneficial deal, though no new signing date has been set. Talks reportedly slowed after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump in late February, and Washington’s focus shifted to conflict with Iran. India has reduced but not halted imports of Russian oil, while U.S. officials have urged New Delhi to increase imports to ease global energy shortages. Analysts said India’s cautious approach is reasonable given ongoing tariff uncertainty and the Section 301 investigation under the 1974 Trade Act. India may present its case to the U.S. Trade Representative or take the matter to the World Trade Organization if needed.

The Supreme Court of Bangladesh has released the full verdict of its Appellate Division upholding the caretaker government system in the constitution. The 74-page judgment, authored by former Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refaat Ahmed, was published on the Supreme Court’s website on Sunday, March 15, 2026. The verdict had originally been delivered on November 20 of the previous year. The caretaker government system was first introduced in 1996 through the 13th Amendment under the BNP government. In 2011, during the Awami League government, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court declared the 13th Amendment void, effectively abolishing the caretaker system. Following the fall of the Awami League government, an interim administration sought a review of the 2011 verdict, leading the Supreme Court to reopen the appeal. The court has now declared the earlier annulment of the 13th Amendment invalid, thereby reinstating the non-partisan caretaker government system to oversee national elections.

State Minister for Social Welfare Farzana Sharmin told Parliament on Sunday that all beneficiaries under the country’s social safety net programs will be brought under a single, integrated framework. She made the statement during the question-and-answer session chaired by Speaker Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, responding on behalf of the Social Welfare Minister Abu Zafar Md. Zahid Hossain. Sharmin said irregularities have been reported in the distribution of allowances, including demands for money from beneficiaries, which she described as corruption. She emphasized the government’s effort to ensure transparency in the delivery process. The ministry has launched a major project called the “Family Card” to gradually integrate all beneficiaries within a unified household-based system. She noted that the country is facing a fragile economic situation and that the government aims to ensure equitable benefits through a coordinated structure. The state minister added that existing beneficiary lists are being verified to remove nepotism and irregularities from past administrations. The goal is to identify genuine recipients and deliver benefits transparently, ensuring fairness and equality in the social welfare system.