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.

Iran has reportedly carried out a cyberattack that disabled Israel’s railway system, according to Iranian news agency Fars. The report stated that Israel’s railway network was hacked and rendered inoperative, with warnings that no Israeli railway station would be safe until further notice. At the same time, Israel’s Defense Forces announced that Iran had launched new missile attacks targeting Israeli territory. The IDF confirmed through its official Telegram channel that missiles fired from Iran were detected and that Israel’s defense systems were working to intercept the threats. The developments come amid escalating hostilities between the two countries, with reports of widespread Iranian attacks on Israel within the past 24 hours resulting in injuries to 179 people, according to the source.

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.

Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, security analysts have warned that Iran could attempt attacks on US soil. During a CBS News program, two former counterterrorism officials discussed potential threats to the United States. Sam Vinograd, a former Homeland Security counterterrorism official, described Iran as a 'multidimensional threat,' suggesting Tehran might use physical assaults, cyberattacks, and information warfare to harm US interests. Vinograd added that Iran could rely on proxy groups, state agents, and domestic networks within the United States, even paying local criminals to carry out violent acts. The report noted that a man in New York is currently on trial for allegedly conspiring with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to target American politicians, including former presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Former CIA counterterrorism official Joe Jakes said Iran’s goal in any such attack would be to force the US into a defensive posture and demonstrate its offensive capabilities. Jakes also cautioned that potential attacks could include cyber operations, underscoring the broad range of threats under consideration.

Bahraini authorities have instructed residents in parts of the country to remain indoors following an attack on fuel tanks in the Muharraq Governorate. The incident occurred on Thursday amid ongoing operations by Iran in the Gulf region that have disrupted the global energy market, according to a report from Manama cited by AFP. The Ministry of Interior stated on social media platform X that the attack targeted fuel storage facilities and was carried out from the Iranian side. As a precaution, residents in three areas of Muharraq were told to stay inside, close windows, and seal ventilation openings to avoid exposure to smoke. Authorities confirmed that firefighting efforts are underway to bring the blaze under control. The stay-at-home directive was issued to protect residents from potential health risks caused by smoke spreading from the affected site.

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.

Meta announced that it is expanding its custom silicon program with four new generations of Meta Training and Inference Accelerator (MTIA) chips to be developed and deployed within the next two years. The new chips will support ranking, recommendations, and generative AI (GenAI) workloads, marking a faster release cycle than typical industry standards. MTIA 300 is already in production for ranking and recommendations training, while MTIA 400, 450, and 500 will focus primarily on GenAI inference production through 2027. The company’s AI infrastructure strategy centers on a portfolio approach that combines its own MTIA chips with silicon sourced from other industry leaders. Meta has deployed hundreds of thousands of MTIA chips for inference workloads across organic content and ads, achieving higher compute efficiency and cost-effectiveness compared to general-purpose chips. The modular design of MTIA allows new chips to integrate seamlessly into existing rack systems, reducing time-to-production. Meta’s roadmap emphasizes rapid, iterative development, an inference-first design philosophy, and alignment with industry standards such as PyTorch, vLLM, Triton, and the Open Compute Project. This approach aims to sustain innovation speed and scalability as the company advances toward its goal of enabling personal superintelligence.

A new debate has emerged over whether Iran is using China’s advanced Beidou satellite navigation system to target military installations in the Middle East belonging to Israel and the United States. According to a French intelligence expert, Iran may be receiving assistance from Beidou to improve its targeting accuracy. Alain Juillet, former director of France’s foreign intelligence, stated on the independent French podcast ‘Tocsin’ that Iran’s targeting precision has significantly improved since a 12-day conflict with Israel in June. He suggested that this improvement could be linked to Iran gaining access to China’s Beidou satellite navigation network. Experts cited in the report noted that if Iran is indeed using Beidou, it could challenge the long-standing U.S. dominance in real-time satellite intelligence on the battlefield.

NVIDIA has launched Nemotron 3 Super, a 120‑billion‑parameter open model with 12 billion active parameters designed to power complex agentic AI systems at scale. The model, available immediately, integrates advanced reasoning capabilities to complete tasks efficiently and accurately for autonomous agents. It features a 1‑million‑token context window to maintain full workflow memory and prevent goal drift in multi‑agent applications. Nemotron 3 Super employs a hybrid mixture‑of‑experts architecture that delivers up to five times higher throughput and twice the accuracy of its predecessor. Running in NVFP4 precision on the NVIDIA Blackwell platform, it achieves up to four times faster inference than FP8 on NVIDIA Hopper without accuracy loss. The model has achieved top rankings on Artificial Analysis and DeepResearch Bench leaderboards for efficiency and reasoning coherence. NVIDIA is releasing it with open weights under a permissive license, enabling deployment across workstations, data centers, and cloud environments. Industry partners including Perplexity, Amdocs, Palantir, Siemens, and Dell Technologies are integrating Nemotron 3 Super into their AI ecosystems to enhance search, software development, cybersecurity, and manufacturing automation. The model is accessible through build.nvidia.com, OpenRouter, and Hugging Face.