Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced that the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s key oil transport routes, will remain open to ships that are not linked to aggressor nations. In an interview with Newsroom Africa, spokesperson Ismail Baghaei said vessels will be permitted to pass through the strait after necessary coordination with Iranian authorities.

Baghaei commented on the broader regional conflict, stating that Iran would not tolerate what he described as a recurring cycle of war, negotiation, ceasefire, and renewed conflict. He referred to a 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June, during which the United States targeted several Iranian nuclear and military facilities.

The statement underscores Iran’s attempt to balance its strategic control over the Strait of Hormuz with assurances of continued maritime access for neutral nations, while signaling frustration over repeated escalations involving Israel and the United States.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have claimed responsibility for killing at least 40 Hezbollah fighters in the past 24 hours during coordinated air, land, and sea operations in southern Lebanon. According to a report cited by Al Jazeera, the IDF said it carried out extensive airstrikes targeting Hezbollah’s military installations and infrastructure.

The IDF stated that the attacks destroyed several key sites, including weapons depots and rocket launch facilities. Ground forces reportedly identified and neutralized a Hezbollah cell in the region, while the Israeli navy struck a weapons warehouse in southern Lebanon. The operations were described as part of a comprehensive campaign against Hezbollah’s military presence.

As of the report’s publication, Hezbollah had not issued any official response to Israel’s claims, leaving the extent of the casualties and damage unverified.

A delegation led by NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan arrived early Thursday at the Charmonai Pir’s Darbar in Barishal. After the Fajr prayer, Charmonai Pir Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim delivered a sermon, followed by a brief informal exchange with NCP leaders. The visit marks an engagement between the NCP and the religious leadership at Charmonai.

Among those present were Islami Andolan’s joint secretary general and spokesperson Maulana Gazi Ataur Rahman, joint secretary general Engineer Ashraful Alam, NCP joint convener Sarowar Tushar, joint member secretary Faisal Mahmud Shanto, central organizer and National Ulama Alliance member secretary Maulana Sanaullah Khan, central member Hamza Mahbub, and several student leaders including Rifat Rashid and Abdul Kader.

According to Charmonai Mahfil’s media coordinator KM Shariyatullah, Asif Mahmud is scheduled to deliver a speech on the Charmonai Mahfil stage after the Zuhr prayer. The NCP delegation will remain in Charmonai throughout the day.

Leaders of Khelafat Majlis, in a central executive meeting held at the party’s Paltan headquarters, expressed deep concern that the government has not presented the July National Charter Implementation Order in parliament, despite previously supporting the charter and campaigning for a ‘yes’ vote in the referendum. They emphasized that the government bears a moral responsibility to implement the referendum’s verdict, which favored constitutional reform.

The leaders stated that the 48 proposals under the July National Charter, which were the subject of the referendum, must be discussed and reviewed by the elected parliament. They called for effective steps to amend the constitution in accordance with the referendum outcome. The meeting also highlighted severe disarray in the health sector, shortages of medicines and equipment in public hospitals, and rising measles cases and mosquito infestations.

Additionally, the party criticized the government’s decision to hold online classes three days a week as harmful to students and urged reconsideration. They suggested banning air conditioners and decorative lighting to address the energy crisis and improving public transport as alternative measures.

Rajshahi University’s electric car (e-car) transport service, launched to ease student commuting, has been shut down after only four months of operation. The service, introduced by the Rajshahi University Alumni Association (RUAA) on October 26 last year, faced losses, fare disputes, and mechanical failures. By the last week of March, all e-cars were withdrawn from service.

Initially, five e-cars were deployed, but two soon became inoperative due to mechanical faults. Drivers paid the company a daily fee of Tk 1,500 and kept the remaining income as wages. Passenger numbers declined over time, and disagreements arose over fare rates. The university administration attempted to set fixed stops and fares, but confusion persisted after the student union’s general secretary promised a Tk 5 fare within the campus.

E-car service manager Enayet Kabir Likhon said repeated discussions with RUAA failed to resolve the issues, and the operating company lost interest in continuing. RUAA’s general secretary, Professor Nizam Uddin, cited technical problems and road conditions as key causes but said new vehicles might be purchased soon for free campus transport if the university approves.

An Iranian military spokesperson has accused the United States and Israel of carrying out attacks on what he described as 'trivial' targets. In a statement published by the IRGC-linked Tasnim news agency and the semi-official Fars News Agency, he warned that a 'catastrophic, more extensive and destructive' response could follow.

The spokesperson said both countries possess 'incomplete' information about Tehran’s military capabilities and equipment. He added that Iran’s military production takes place in undisclosed locations and rejected former US President Donald Trump’s claim that Iran’s arsenal had been significantly depleted. The spokesperson further warned that the United States and Israel would have to 'pay the price for the aggression they started.'

The statement reflects heightened rhetoric amid ongoing regional tensions, though no specific details about the timing or nature of the alleged attacks were provided in the report.

A severe humanitarian and economic crisis has emerged in the Persian Gulf as Iran’s blockade has trapped at least 2,190 commercial vessels, including 320 oil and gas tankers, in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. According to the latest marine data released Wednesday, the ships are stranded in the middle of the Gulf with almost no exit route. Maritime intelligence agency Kepler reported that among the trapped vessels are 50 crude oil carriers and 12 large liquefied gas ships. Normally, around 120 ships pass through the strait daily, but only six managed to cross between Tuesday and Wednesday.

Iran currently maintains full control over the waterway, allowing limited passage through a special corridor near Larak Island. Reports allege that Iran is charging up to $2 million per ship to pass, a practice sailors have dubbed the “Tehran toll booth.” Tehran has hinted that ships from “friendly” nations like Malaysia may be exempted. China confirmed that three of its ships crossed under special coordination, while some Indian and Greek vessels also managed limited passage.

The crisis has left about 20,000 sailors stranded at sea. The UK has called an emergency meeting with 35 countries, while China and Pakistan urged an immediate ceasefire and safe navigation. U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran to lift the blockade or face tougher military action.

The government has issued a new set of office regulations and behavioral guidelines for officials and employees to enhance public service quality and administrative efficiency. According to a notice signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Mosammat Tania Ferdous of the Ministry of Youth and Sports on April 2, all government staff must remain in their offices from 9:00 to 9:40 a.m. daily. The directive aims to ensure better citizen services and strengthen inter-departmental coordination.

The notice reiterates earlier Cabinet Division instructions that were reportedly not being followed, causing disruptions in public service. It also calls for responsible energy use, advising officials to rely on natural light during the day, maintain air conditioner temperatures at or above 25 degrees Celsius, and ensure all electrical devices are turned off before leaving the office. Additionally, it prohibits decorative lighting without government approval and emphasizes cleanliness in offices, corridors, and restrooms.

To ensure compliance, each department and agency must form a vigilance team to monitor implementation. The government stated that these measures are intended to promote transparency and proper use of state resources.

In Bangladesh’s parliament on Thursday, NCP lawmaker Abul Hasnat (Hasnat Abdullah) questioned the government over reported fuel shortages at petrol pumps across the country. He said that despite earlier assurances from the power and energy minister that there was no crisis, many pumps were closing, including in Sylhet, where long queues of vehicles were seen. Hasnat accused the government of ignoring the issue and urged the minister to acknowledge the problem and provide a timeline for resolving it.

In response, Power and Energy Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud stated that the government was supplying the usual daily amount of fuel to all pumps. He explained that since an incident in Iran, fuel sales had suddenly increased, causing stocks that previously lasted more than a day to sell out within hours. The minister attributed the visible queues to panic buying rather than a supply shortage, insisting that petrol deliveries continued daily.

The exchange highlighted growing public concern over fuel availability and the government’s efforts to reassure citizens about stable supply conditions.

Rail communication between Sylhet and the rest of Bangladesh resumed on Thursday afternoon, 18 hours after five wagons of an oil-carrying train derailed at Shahpur in Madhabpur upazila of Habiganj. The incident occurred around 9:45 p.m. on Wednesday on the Dhaka-Sylhet route, halting train services. Operations restarted at about 4 p.m. Thursday after extensive recovery work by railway authorities, army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and police.

According to railway officials, the train was transporting fuel from Chattogram to Sylhet when the derailment took place near Monatola station. One wagon fell into a roadside ditch, while others tilted off the track. Locals gathered at the site, and some attempted to collect spilled oil before law enforcement intervened. BGB later recovered about 1,000 liters of oil. No casualties were reported.

A five-member inquiry committee led by the divisional transport officer has been formed to determine the cause and extent of damage, with a report due within three working days. Three intercity trains were canceled due to the disruption, though services have now resumed.

Eight Muslim-majority countries have jointly condemned Israel’s recently passed death penalty law, calling it discriminatory and a violation of Palestinian rights. According to the report, foreign ministers from Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates issued a joint statement criticizing the law. The Israeli parliament passed the bill earlier this week, introducing capital punishment for Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis in what it defines as ‘terrorist’ acts, while exempting Jewish Israelis from the same penalty.

The ministers said the law denies Palestinians’ fundamental rights and institutionalizes an apartheid-like system in the occupied territories. They also expressed deep concern over the conditions of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, citing reports from human rights groups about torture, food shortages, and deprivation of basic rights.

The European Union and several European countries have also voiced concern and criticism over the law. Human rights organizations warned that the measure will further entrench discrimination against Palestinians and strengthen Israel’s apartheid system.

After more than five decades, humans have once again embarked on a journey to the Moon. On Wednesday, April 1, a NASA rocket carrying four astronauts lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:35 p.m. local time. The mission, named Artemis-2, includes three American astronauts and one Canadian.

Reid Wiseman, a former U.S. Navy pilot and test pilot who spent 165 days aboard the International Space Station in 2014, is commanding the mission. Pilot Victor Glover, who previously served on the SpaceX Crew-1 mission, becomes the first Black astronaut to join a lunar mission. Mission specialist Christina Koch, known for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, will become the first woman to travel around the Moon. Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, also a mission specialist, is the first from his country to take part in a lunar mission.

The Artemis-2 mission marks a major milestone in NASA’s renewed lunar exploration program, paving the way for future human landings on the Moon.

China’s Foreign Ministry has called on all parties involved in the ongoing conflict in Iran to immediately cease hostilities. The appeal came after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to launch larger-scale attacks in Iran in the coming weeks. Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning made the statement during a press briefing, emphasizing that military means cannot fundamentally resolve the problem and that escalating the conflict serves no party’s interests.

Mao further stated that the root cause of instability in the Strait of Hormuz lies in illegal military activities in the area. She urged all sides to avoid actions that could have more severe impacts on the global economy and energy security. The statement reflects Beijing’s concern over the potential regional and global repercussions of continued hostilities.

The call for restraint follows heightened tensions in the region, with reports of potential attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and volatility in global oil and precious metal markets.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General and Prime Minister’s Political Affairs Adviser Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said that ensuring good governance requires an impartial and competent administration. Speaking as the chief guest at a discussion marking Independence and National Day at North South University in Dhaka on Thursday, he warned that lack of neutrality in administration leads to disorder, corruption, and instability, creating opportunities for foreign interference.

Rizvi emphasized that Bangladesh’s independence was the result of a long struggle against exploitation and oppression, not limited to the nine-month Liberation War. He criticized attempts to distort the history of the Liberation War by attributing it to a single family or group, arguing that such practices harm the nation’s spirit. He also said that the true history of independence has not been properly presented to the younger generation, though they are increasingly aware and vocal against injustice.

He added that true independence requires ensuring citizens’ rights, freedom of expression, voting rights, and the rule of law. Rizvi called for merit-based administrative reforms to strengthen democracy and prevent the state from weakening under corruption and division.

Iran approved safe passage for six Bangladeshi fuel-carrying ships through the Hormuz Strait based on information provided by Bangladesh. However, five of those shipments have already been canceled by global suppliers. Petrobangla officials said the list sent to Tehran was prepared using outdated plans and documents that did not account for force majeure declarations by QatarEnergy and Oman’s OQ Trading. Both companies suspended all supplies in early March following the start of the Iran war.

The energy division’s list had included five LNG cargoes scheduled for April—four from QatarEnergy and one from Excelerate Energy. Petrobangla Chairman Arfanul Haque confirmed that these shipments are no longer valid, as suppliers extended their suspensions until at least May 8. He questioned why the canceled shipments were still listed for Iranian clearance.

An energy division official admitted that the outdated data was sent because the duration of the force majeure was unknown. The division’s joint secretary, Monir Hossain Chowdhury, said crude oil shipments were unaffected and that Petrobangla was instructed to explore whether LNG deliveries could still proceed.