Prime Minister Tarique Rahman spent his holiday working at his office in Tejgaon, Dhaka, on March 7, 2026. According to Deputy Press Secretary Zahidul Islam Rony, this marked the third consecutive Saturday the prime minister has worked since taking office. Senior advisers and officials, including Public Administration Adviser Ismail Jobiullah, Economic Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, and Education and Expatriate Welfare Adviser Mahdi Amin, were also present.

During the day, Rahman met with Dr. Nargis Akhter, Director General of the Bangladesh Jute Research Institute, to discuss expanding the use and market of jute-based products. Later, he held a meeting with Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku on reducing costs and improving efficiency in the energy sector.

The deputy press secretary added that the prime minister planned to attend an iftar event at the state guesthouse Jamuna, organized in honor of religious scholars and orphans.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has intensified surveillance along the Sunamganj border to curb illegal fuel smuggling amid global instability and fluctuating international fuel prices. Starting Friday morning, March 6, additional checkpoints, special patrols, and intelligence monitoring were deployed across several border areas. Inspections of suspected vehicles have also been reinforced to detect and prevent smuggling activities.

According to BGB, heightened vigilance has been placed at three land customs (LC) points under the Sunamganj battalion’s jurisdiction. The measures aim to stop trucks carrying stones and coal from illegally transporting fuel on their return trips. The commander of the 28 BGB Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel A K M Zakaria Kadir, stated that the force will continue its operations to prevent fuel smuggling and other unlawful activities along the border.

The strengthened monitoring reflects BGB’s ongoing efforts to maintain border security and ensure compliance with trade and fuel regulations in the region.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for a drone attack on the Al Dhafra air base in the United Arab Emirates, according to a report by Al Jazeera citing Iran’s state-run Tasnim news agency. The report stated that the strike targeted a US satellite communication center, an early warning radar, and a fire control radar at the base.

As of the time of reporting, the United Arab Emirates has not issued any official comment regarding the alleged attack. The incident comes amid ongoing regional tensions and follows previous Iranian claims of drone and missile strikes on US military installations across the Gulf region, with Al Dhafra base repeatedly identified as one of the targets.

The latest claim underscores heightened friction between Iran and US-aligned Gulf states, though independent verification of the reported strike or its impact was not available from the source.

Four people were arrested by Kalabagan police at Dhanmondi 32 in Dhaka on Saturday morning during a procession marking the March 7 observance. The group of about 30 to 40 people had started their march from Dhanmondi 27 and were heading toward Dhanmondi 32 to place flowers when police intervened. The procession dispersed following the police obstruction.

According to Kalabagan Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Fazle Ashiq, the four detainees—three women and one man—were taken into custody under the Anti-Terrorism Act and later sent to court. The arrests occurred as the group carried flowers during their procession to the historic site.

The report did not include further details about the identities of the detainees or the specific reasons for applying the Anti-Terrorism Act in this case.

The head of Iran’s Red Crescent Society, Pirhossein Kolivand, has claimed that 65 schools and 13 centers affiliated with the organization were targeted in attacks allegedly carried out by Israel and the United States. According to a report by BBC News Farsi cited in the statement, the strikes affected multiple regions across Iran.

Kolivand stated that a total of 6,668 civilian units were hit, including 5,535 residential and 1,041 commercial buildings. He added that several Red Crescent rescue vehicles were also damaged during the incidents. The report did not specify the exact timing or locations of the attacks.

As of the report’s release, there had been no immediate response from either Israel or the United States regarding the allegations.

The 59th Battalion of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has launched strict fuel inspections on India-bound trucks at the Sonamasjid land port in Shibganj, Chapainawabganj. The initiative began on Saturday amid global fuel instability caused by the ongoing war in the Middle East. BGB teams are measuring fuel levels in trucks entering from India and rechecking them when the vehicles return after unloading goods to ensure no excess fuel is taken back.

Lieutenant Colonel Golam Kibria, commanding officer of the 59 BGB Battalion, stated that the operation aims to prevent any smuggling of Bangladeshi fuel into India. He said the double-checking system will discourage smugglers and help protect national resources. The BGB official added that the inspection campaign will continue regularly in the public interest.

The move reflects Bangladesh’s broader efforts to safeguard domestic energy security and curb illegal fuel outflow during a period of international market volatility.

A US B-1 Lancer bomber landed at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom, on Friday evening. The 146-foot-long aircraft arrived following British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision to allow the United States to take defensive action against Iranian missile installations from UK military bases.

The move came after criticism from US President Donald Trump and several British political figures, including Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, who accused Starmer of delaying permission for base use. Starmer defended his decision, arguing that the conflict could have been legally questionable and lacked a clear, well-planned strategy.

The deployment marks a significant moment in UK-US defense cooperation amid heightened tensions involving Iran, though further operational details were not disclosed in the report.

The body of Kohinur Akter, 30, wife of expatriate Nurul Islam from Ukhia’s Rajapalong Union, was recovered from beneath a lift at Cox’s Bazar District Sadar Hospital four days after she went missing. She had come to the hospital with her sick child and disappeared on March 4 after leaving to buy medicine. Her body was discovered Saturday morning after CCTV footage showed her entering the lift but not exiting.

Hospital officials said she likely fell into the lift shaft when the door opened before the lift arrived. The incident has raised serious questions about the hospital’s safety and surveillance systems. Relatives became agitated after the discovery, prompting police to intervene and restore order.

Law enforcement authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident. The body was sent for autopsy at the hospital morgue, while local residents expressed concern over how a body could remain undiscovered for days inside a busy hospital.

Thirty-one sailors of the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation vessel MV Banglar Joyjatra have been stranded for seven days at Jebel Ali port in the United Arab Emirates, caught in the middle of intensifying regional hostilities. Captain Md Shafiqul Islam Khan reported through a video message on March 5 that the crew faces daily missile and drone activity near the port, with explosions occasionally shaking the area. The ship arrived from Qatar on February 26 carrying 38,800 tons of steel coil, but unloading was halted as tensions between Iran, the United States, and Israel escalated from February 28.

The captain described the situation as the most perilous in his three-decade career, with a missile recently striking an oil storage facility just 200 meters from the vessel. Although the ship has sufficient food and water, the crew remains deeply anxious about their safety. Families in Bangladesh are distraught as communication continues under fear and uncertainty.

Bangladesh Shipping Corporation’s managing director Commodore Mahmudul Malek said the government and embassy are closely monitoring the situation and have prepared evacuation plans if conditions worsen.

The Islamic University (IU) administration has temporarily suspended two assistant professors and one official following their implication in the murder case of Asma Sadia Runa, chairperson and assistant professor of the Department of Social Welfare. The suspended individuals are Assistant Professors Shyam Sundar Sarkar and Habibur Rahman, and Assistant Registrar Bishwajit Kumar Biswas of Ummul Mu’minin Ayesha Siddika Hall. The decision was announced on Saturday, March 7, 2026, through separate office orders signed by Acting Registrar Professor Dr. Manjurul Haque.

According to the orders, the suspensions were made under Section 15(b) of the university’s service discipline rules after the accused were named in the initial police report filed under Section 154 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The suspension took effect from March 5, 2026, and the individuals will receive subsistence allowances as per university regulations.

The case stems from the fatal stabbing of Professor Runa inside her department office on March 4. Her husband, Imtiaz Sultan, filed a murder case the next day against four people, naming employee Fazlur Rahman as the prime accused. Police have already arrested Fazlur Rahman, who was under treatment in the ICU.

A joint operation by the Department of Narcotics Control and police in Khulna on Saturday led to the arrest of a woman carrying a large consignment of illegal firearms and ammunition allegedly smuggled from India. The suspect, identified as Suraiya Parvin Sumi from Satkhira, was detained during a search on a Khulna–Satkhira road in the Niz Khamar area. Authorities recovered five firearms, including three pistols and two revolvers, along with four magazines and 96 rounds of ammunition.

Officials said the operation was launched based on intelligence that a drug consignment was being transported from Satkhira to Dhaka. During the search, officers first seized 80 bottles of codeine phosphate from two women and later discovered the weapons in another vehicle. Police confirmed that the seized arms had entered Bangladesh through illegal routes from India and were being distributed nationwide for subversive activities.

Law enforcement agencies stated that they have obtained information about the suppliers and intended destinations of the weapons and have begun follow-up investigations based on those findings.

The Supreme Court of Bangladesh is set to resume hearing on March 8 on appeals challenging the 15th amendment to the Constitution. The case will be heard by an Appellate Division bench led by the Chief Justice. The appeal follows the High Court’s December 17 verdict, which had ruled on several provisions of the amendment. The Appellate Division had earlier, on November 13, granted permission to appeal against that verdict.

The 15th amendment, passed by Parliament on June 30, 2011, and approved by the President on July 3, 2011, abolished the caretaker government system and introduced several constitutional changes. These included recognizing Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the Father of the Nation, increasing reserved seats for women in Parliament from 45 to 50, restoring secularism and religious freedom, and adding nationalism, socialism, democracy, and secularism as state principles. It also criminalized unconstitutional seizure of state power as treason and revised election timing provisions.

The writ petition challenging the amendment was filed by Badiul Alam Majumdar and others, later joined by political leaders and organizations. The petitioners’ lawyers argue that the entire amendment should be annulled.

Bangladesh’s Minister of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Nasrul Hamid, stated on Saturday in Tejgaon, Dhaka, that the country has adequate oil reserves and there is no reason for public concern. He announced that two additional oil vessels are scheduled to arrive on March 9, ensuring continued supply and preventing any potential shortage. The minister urged citizens not to panic or stockpile fuel unnecessarily, assuring that petrol pumps are being regularly supplied.

He explained that global instability, particularly the ongoing war in the Middle East, has created uncertainty in the international energy market, leading to public anxiety. As a precaution, the government has introduced limited fuel rationing, which some people misinterpreted as a sign of scarcity. The minister clarified that the rationing is a preventive measure, not a response to shortage.

To maintain control over fuel distribution, the government will deploy mobile courts from the following day to monitor petrol pumps and investigate any irregularities. The minister also confirmed that Bangladesh continues to import LNG from Qatar and is exploring alternative energy sources to ensure future stability.

Labour, Employment and Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury has warned that strict action will be taken against those involved in the recent deterioration of law and order in Sylhet city. His remarks came after a series of robbery incidents in the area. Speaking to journalists on Saturday, March 7, 2026, following his participation in a Holi festival event at the Manipuri Rajbari in Mirzajangal, he said that no one responsible for the unrest will be spared.

The minister stated that the Prime Minister has declared a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and extortion, emphasizing that such activities will not be tolerated. He added that the administration has been instructed to arrest the robbers swiftly and bring them under the law, reaffirming the government’s commitment to ensuring a safe Sylhet.

The Holi festival event was presided over by Digen Singh, president of the Academy for Manipuri Culture and Arts, and attended by Sylhet City Corporation administrator Abdul Kaiyum Chowdhury and other guests.

The small resort town of Taba, located on Egypt’s border with Israel, has turned into a major transit hub for Israelis and foreign nationals fleeing the ongoing conflict. Following Iran’s retaliatory strikes against the joint Israel–United States offensive, Israel closed its airspace, prompting travelers to use the Taba crossing to leave or return to the country. Since the first attacks on February 28, thousands of passengers have crossed through Taba in both directions, with many entering Egypt to catch flights to Europe and other destinations. The Taba International Airport has been reopened to handle the surge in travelers.

The Red Sea coastal town, usually known for tourism, is now crowded with evacuees and transit passengers. Several countries are arranging evacuations for their citizens, while airlines are rerouting regional flights. On March 1, Israel’s Arkia Airlines announced new flights between Taba and Athens and later expanded routes to six European destinations. A Cypriot and a Greek airline have also begun operating flights to Taba. Israel’s main carrier, El Al, considered moving flights there but withdrew due to security concerns.