A total of fifteen members of Iraq’s Hashd al-Shaabi, including a commander, were killed in an attack in western Iraq on Tuesday, according to a statement from the group. The statement, cited by AFP from Baghdad, said the strike targeted an operations center in Anbar province and described it as a 'treacherous American attack.' The new death toll updates an earlier report that had listed seven fatalities.

Hashd al-Shaabi, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), is a former paramilitary coalition that has since been integrated into Iraq’s regular armed forces. The organization includes factions with pro-Iranian affiliations, and it accused the United States of responsibility for the latest strike.

The statement did not provide further details about the nature of the attack or the U.S. response, leaving uncertainty about the broader military or political consequences of the incident.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam said Bangladesh has not yet sent a formal letter to India regarding the return of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who faces charges of crimes against humanity. She stated that during the interim government, Bangladesh had sent a letter to India seeking Hasina’s repatriation. However, under the new government, the issue has only been raised verbally with the Indian envoy so far.

Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, Shama Obaid said the current government has been in office for one month and has held several meetings with India’s High Commissioner. She confirmed that both she and the foreign minister discussed the matter during those meetings.

According to the report, Bangladesh previously sent a letter to India on December 23 requesting Hasina’s return. Sheikh Hasina has been staying in India since fleeing there on August 5 of the previous year.

Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai confirmed that a building in the city was damaged by a direct hit from an Iranian missile. The incident left four people slightly injured, who were treated by emergency responders. According to an AFP correspondent at the scene, an old three-story building in the northern upscale area of the city was destroyed.

Israeli media, including Army Radio, reported that police believe the damage was caused by three to four warheads launched from a rocket launcher. Each warhead was estimated to contain around 100 kilograms of explosives. Israel’s emergency services released a video showing extensive destruction from the explosion and stated that all four injured individuals were treated and released shortly afterward.

The report comes amid ongoing conflict, with local media noting that thousands have been injured in Israel since the start of the war.

A Dhaka court has granted bail to former information minister Hasanul Haq Inu, former social welfare minister Rashed Khan Menon, and former Supreme Court justice A.H.M. Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik in a defamation case filed over alleged derogatory comments about former president Ziaur Rahman. Metropolitan Magistrate Rounak Jahan Taki issued the order on Tuesday after a hearing. The information was confirmed by DMP Prosecution Division Deputy Commissioner Mia Mohammad Ashis Bin Hasan.

According to court sources, Inu was shown arrested in the case and produced before the court, while Menon and Manik were brought for appearance. After hearing bail petitions from their lawyers, the court granted bail to all three. Menon and Manik had earlier been shown arrested in the same case on January 21. The case was filed on August 22, 2024, by lawyer Ziaul Haque, and the court had directed the Police Bureau of Investigation to conduct an inquiry.

The complaint alleged that Manik made controversial remarks about Ziaur Rahman during a television talk show in October 2022 and at a seminar in February 2021, while Inu and Menon made similar comments in separate events in July 2013.

Former army officer and ex-MP Masud Uddin Chowdhury has been arrested in a human trafficking case filed at Paltan Police Station in Dhaka. The arrest was confirmed by Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch (DB) Additional Commissioner Shafiqul Islam at a press briefing on Tuesday. Chowdhury was detained from Baridhara late Monday night and later produced before the court. According to police, he faces a total of 11 cases—six in Feni and five in Dhaka—covering charges including murder, attempted murder, and human trafficking.

DB officials stated that three of the Feni cases are under trial, and Chowdhury had been absconding, prompting the court to issue arrest warrants. He also faces multiple allegations under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Criminal Investigation Department. Chowdhury, a key figure during the 2007 military-backed caretaker government, previously served as coordinator of the National Coordination Committee on Serious Crimes.

Police have sought a five-day remand for further interrogation, while court proceedings on his detention are ongoing.

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has informed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that Bangladesh will face increased spending on fuel imports due to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. He made the statement on Tuesday, March 24, after a meeting with an IMF delegation at the Secretariat. The delegation, led by Krishna Srinivasan, Director of the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department, also met Prime Minister Tarique Rahman earlier in the day.

The minister said discussions with the IMF included whether the government would bear the additional fuel costs, adding that further talks would take place during the upcoming Spring Meetings in Washington. He noted that the IMF had raised issues related to the war context, challenges in the banking and stock market sectors, and tax-to-GDP matters. Chowdhury emphasized that despite the war and fuel crisis, transportation and commodity prices remained stable during Ramadan and Eid due to timely government decisions.

He added that the IMF loan review is scheduled for July, with preliminary discussions to be held in April in Washington. The minister said Bangladesh is negotiating IMF conditions gradually, aligning them with the country’s current economic realities.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch (DB) has shown former army officer Lieutenant General (Retd.) Masud Uddin Chowdhury arrested in a case filed with Paltan Police Station and sought a five-day remand for interrogation. The DB confirmed that more than eight cases are pending against him, including those filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission. He was arrested late Monday night from his residence in Baridhara DOHS, Dhaka.

DB Additional Commissioner Md. Shafiqul Islam told a press briefing at the DMP Media Center on Minto Road that investigations into multiple cases against Masud Uddin are ongoing. The retired general was a key figure during the 2007 military-backed caretaker government, serving as coordinator of the National Coordination Committee for Serious Crimes Suppression.

Masud Uddin, once close to former army chief General Moeen U Ahmed, later served as Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Australia and was elected a Member of Parliament from Feni-3 under the Jatiya Party ticket. He is also accused in cases related to the 2024 Feni shootings during the anti-government movement.

Jinia Sharmin Ria, spokesperson of Jatiya Chhatra Shakti’s Cox’s Bazar district unit, sharply criticized Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists, calling them 'spineless politicians' in a social media post on March 24, 2026. Her remarks came after several Jamaat leaders were seen presenting flowers to BNP lawmaker Shahjahan Chowdhury, who represents Cox’s Bazar-04 (Ukhia-Teknaf). Ria questioned their political consistency, pointing out that Jamaat had simultaneously filed a court petition challenging the same election result.

The post referenced a photo showing six Jamaat leaders, including Ukhia upazila chief Maulana Abul Fazal, greeting Shahjahan Chowdhury with flowers. Ria accused them of hypocrisy, noting that they were publicly disputing election irregularities while privately acknowledging the BNP MP. She argued that such behavior reflected a lack of political integrity.

Ria had previously campaigned for Jamaat’s candidate Maulana Nur Ahmed Anwari during the thirteenth national election as part of the 11-party alliance. During that campaign, BNP’s Shahjahan Chowdhury had reportedly made personal attacks against her, adding further context to her criticism.

Russia launched missile and drone attacks across Ukraine on Tuesday, prompting air raid alerts nationwide except in the Odesa region. According to Ukraine’s regional military administrations, the strikes killed three people—two in Poltava and one in Zaporizhzhia—and injured several others.

Vitalii Diakivnych, head of the Poltava regional military administration, said on Telegram that residential buildings and a hotel were damaged and caught fire in Poltava, leaving two dead and seven injured. In Zaporizhzhia, regional chief Ivan Fedorov reported a large-scale combined missile and drone assault that killed one person and wounded five, damaging multiple residential and industrial structures.

Ahead of the attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned in his daily televised address that intelligence indicated Russia might be preparing a major offensive.

A New Shuktara Paribahan bus traveling from Chattogram to Kishoreganj narrowly avoided a major accident on Tuesday morning at Alekharchar Bishwaroad in Cumilla. The incident occurred around 11 a.m. when the driver swerved to save an elderly man crossing the road, causing the bus to end up on the edge of a roadside ditch. More than fifty passengers escaped unharmed.

Passenger Sujon Mia said the bus went off the road while trying to avoid a private car and the elderly man. Helper Islam Uddin explained that despite repeated warnings, the man did not move, forcing the driver to steer left toward a pond. Driver Yusuf Ali stated that the vehicle’s low speed and his quick decision prevented a serious crash.

Cumilla Mainamati Highway Police Officer-in-Charge Abdul Momen confirmed that two wreckers were brought to recover the bus and that traffic on the highway remained normal. No casualties were reported.

Two people were killed and more than a hundred others injured in a violent clash between residents of ten villages in Nasirnagar upazila of Brahmanbaria on Tuesday morning. The incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. in Goalanagar Union, where two rival groups, known as the Choura and Honaro communities, confronted each other over a longstanding dispute.

According to local sources, the Choura group consists of seven villages—Geyalnagar Schoolpara, Laluartuku, Dakshindia, Shibpur, Jamarbali, Maizkhola, and Kadamtali—while the Honaro group includes three villages—Goalanagar, Machma, and Rampur. The deceased were identified as Mawlana Habibur Rahman, 40, from the Choura group, and Akhtar Hossain, 50, from the Honaro group.

Goalanagar Union Parishad Chairman Azharul Islam confirmed that villagers from both sides took part in the confrontation. Nasirnagar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shahinul Islam said the clash stemmed from a previous dispute and that police were working to bring the situation under control.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed that Bangladeshi students seeking higher education abroad receive loans of up to Tk 1 million as support for bank guarantees or solvency certificates. The announcement was made by State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Nurul Haque Nur after a meeting with the Prime Minister on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. The meeting was attended by senior officials, including the foreign secretary and advisers to the Prime Minister.

According to Nurul Haque Nur, the Prime Minister instructed that the Expatriates’ Welfare Bank be dedicated to providing these loans through the ministry. The meeting also discussed accelerating an existing memorandum of understanding to send 100,000 workers to Japan and expanding employment opportunities in Europe and other countries. Additionally, the Prime Minister directed the foreign ministry to encourage European nations to establish consular services in Bangladesh to ease visa processing.

The State Minister added that the Prime Minister emphasized better communication of government activities through social and mainstream media to highlight positive initiatives to the public.

Former Lieutenant General Masud Uddin Chowdhury, a key figure during the 2007 military-backed caretaker government, has been shown arrested in a human trafficking case. Police confirmed that he was shown arrested on Tuesday afternoon at Paltan Police Station, with the Detective Branch seeking a five-day remand. He had been detained the previous night from his residence in Baridhara DOHS, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police chief DIG Shafiqul Islam, who stated that Masud faces at least five cases.

Masud Uddin previously served as the coordinator of the National Coordination Committee for Serious Crimes Suppression during the 2007 emergency rule, a period marked by the detention of senior politicians and business leaders. He was closely associated with then Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed and played a central role in the anti-corruption drive that followed the “One-Eleven” political crisis.

The former general later became a Member of Parliament from Feni-3 under the Jatiya Party and was accused in several cases, including a 2024 incident in Feni. His arrest marks the first major action against him in nearly two years.

State Minister for Health Dr. M A Muhit conducted a surprise inspection of the South Surma Upazila Health Complex in Sylhet on March 24, 2026, through a video call from the Secretariat in Dhaka. During the call, he spoke with patients about the quality of medical services and the availability of government medicines. He also reviewed the hospital’s attendance register live on video to verify which doctors were present on duty.

The minister praised the doctors and staff after learning about their presence and the patients’ satisfaction. He emphasized that under the direction of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the government is working tirelessly to ensure quality healthcare for every citizen. He urged doctors to maintain a service-oriented mindset and to build public trust to help create a “Healthy Bangladesh.”

A day earlier, on March 23, Dr. Muhit had similarly inspected the Zakiganj Upazila Hospital via video call, where he found one of four doctors absent and ordered an inquiry. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing world-class healthcare and reiterated plans to introduce a national health card for all citizens.

Iran launched a new round of ballistic missile attacks on Israel on Tuesday morning, according to Iranian state television. The strikes reportedly hit a building in northern Israel, while loud explosions were heard in Jerusalem, news agency AFP reported. Iran’s state broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), stated on Telegram that missiles were fired at what it called occupied territories.

Shortly afterward, IRIB claimed that Iranian missiles had penetrated several of Israel’s defense systems. Israel’s emergency service, Magen David Adom, released footage showing damage to a northern building but confirmed there were no casualties. The Israeli military issued multiple alerts, saying it had detected incoming Iranian missiles and was working to intercept them.

The renewed missile exchange marks another escalation in tensions between Iran and Israel, with both sides reporting defensive and retaliatory actions in recent weeks.