Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz in response to the United States-Israel war, triggering one of the worst global energy crises in decades. Nearly 2,000 vessels are stranded near the narrow passage, which handles about 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas shipments. Iranian media reported that parliament is preparing legislation to collect tolls from ships transiting the strait, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has already implemented a 'toll booth' system requiring vessels to undergo vetting and pay fees for safe passage.

According to reports, some ships have paid up to $2 million to transit, and a few transactions were made in Chinese yuan. Iran insists that collecting such fees is justified to ensure maritime security, while critics, including the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s CEO, have condemned the move as 'economic terrorism.' Legal experts note that under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, all ships enjoy the right of transit passage, but Iran has not ratified the treaty.

The blockade has driven oil prices above $100 per barrel, forcing Asian countries to ration fuel and cut industrial output. Iran has allowed limited passage for vessels from friendly nations, including China, India, and Malaysia, while maintaining restrictions on U.S. and allied ships.

As the United States-Israeli war on Iran enters its fourth week, global oil and gas markets face mounting pressure due to the near-total halt of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway, which normally carries 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas, has seen traffic plunge by more than 95 percent since Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared it closed to certain nations. About 2,000 ships remain stranded, while some vessels from India, Pakistan, China, and Malaysia have been granted limited passage after securing Tehran’s approval.

In response, regional producers are turning to three key pipelines to bypass the strait: Saudi Arabia’s East-West Petroline, the UAE’s Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline, and Iraq’s Kirkuk-Ceyhan line to Turkiye. Combined, these routes can move around 9 million barrels per day—less than half the 20 million normally shipped through Hormuz. Saudi Arabia has sharply increased Petroline flows, but risks persist from potential Houthi attacks near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The UAE’s Fujairah exports have risen modestly, while Iraq’s pipeline remains underused.

Despite these efforts, analysts note that the pipelines’ limited capacity and vulnerability to missile and drone strikes mean they cannot fully replace the disrupted seaborne exports.

A mobile court in Sirajganj sentenced a trader named Md. Apon, aged 19, to one month of simple imprisonment and fined him 100 taka for hoarding petrol and selling it at higher prices. The operation took place on Friday evening at the fertilizer-selling establishment M/S Apon Enterprise in Panchthakuri Bazar, where 22 liters of petrol and lubricants were seized.

According to Executive Magistrate Md. Ruhul Amin, the raid was conducted based on complaints that the business was illegally storing and selling petroleum products. Upon finding evidence of illegal stockpiling, the trader admitted his guilt. The sentence was issued under Section 20(1)(a) of the Petroleum Act, 2016. The seized petrol and lubricants were taken into custody by the authorities.

The case highlights local enforcement of petroleum regulations in Sirajganj, aiming to prevent illegal fuel trading and protect consumers from inflated prices.

Police in Chandina upazila of Cumilla conducted a special anti-drug operation over the past 24 hours, arresting eight individuals including drug dealers and users. The detainees were later sentenced to varying jail terms and fines by a mobile court. The operation, led by Officer-in-Charge Atikur Rahman, resulted in the recovery of yaba tablets, cannabis, and drug-use equipment from different areas of the upazila.

Among those arrested, Sajjad Hossain and Shariful Islam were fined 50,000 taka each and sentenced to one day in jail for possessing and using yaba. Md. Dihan received a 15-day sentence, Liton and Manik Bhandari were sentenced to one month each, and Sakil received three months’ imprisonment with fines. Sohel and Rasel were sentenced to five days in jail and fined. In a separate incident, Arif Hossain, 26, was arrested under Section 34 for causing public nuisance in the municipal area.

Police officials stated that anti-drug operations in Chandina will continue.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested two suspects directly involved in the daylight murder of Jubo Dal leader Golam Kibria in Dhaka’s Pallabi area. The arrests of Md Rashed alias Lopan and Jahangir Hossain alias Kallu were made during overnight raids in Rupnagar’s Eastern Housing and Uttara’s Diabari areas. RAB recovered a foreign revolver and three rounds of ammunition used in the killing. The arrests were announced at a press briefing at RAB-4 headquarters in Mirpur on Friday, March 27, 2026.

According to RAB, the murder was planned to maintain political dominance and control over Mirpur’s criminal network. Investigations revealed that the killing was ordered by top criminal Mashiur Rahman alias Mashi, who saw Kibria as an obstacle to his extortion and business operations in the area. Kibria was shot dead on November 17 inside a hardware store in Mirpur-12, an attack that also injured a rickshaw-puller and caused widespread public alarm.

RAB said the arrested shooters had been preparing to flee the country before being captured. Two other named suspects, Pata Sohel and Bukpora Sujon, had been arrested earlier in the same case.

The government has decided to establish a regional office of the National University to enhance the quality of education and ease access for students in northern Bangladesh. State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam announced the decision during a visit to the designated site near Mahasthangarh Shiladevi Ghat and the Karatoa River in Shibganj upazila of Bogura on Friday afternoon. He said the new office would eliminate the need for Bogura students to travel to Dhaka for university-related services.

During the visit, the state minister was accompanied by the National University director, Shibganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ziaur Rahman, and Officer-in-Charge Md. Shahinuzzaman of Shibganj Police Station. Later, he held meetings with local officials, inspected development projects including the construction of a rest house and children’s park, and distributed grant cheques for the development of mosques, temples, and Eidgah grounds in the area.

The initiative aims to decentralize educational administration and provide better facilities for students in the northern region of the country.

In Osmaninagar upazila of Sylhet, allegations have surfaced that two gazetted July fighters and representatives of opposition alliance parties were deliberately excluded from the upazila administration’s Independence Day celebrations on March 26. The event, organized by the local administration, featured Sylhet-2 MP Tahsina Rushdir Luna as chief guest and was attended by many BNP leaders and government officials, but no representatives from Jamaat-e-Islami or allied parties were invited.

The two excluded July fighters, Enamul Haque (Gazette No. 180) and Ibrahim Ahmad (Gazette No. 336), claimed that since the current UNO Munmun Nahar Asha took office, they have been systematically left out of official events. Local opposition leaders, including those from the National Citizens’ Committee and Khelafat Majlis, accused the administration of politicizing a national day and prioritizing ruling party interests over neutrality.

The UNO did not respond to a request for comment. Reports also indicated that despite administrative instructions, no union parishads in the upazila held Independence Day programs, fueling further local discontent.

The Road Safety Foundation has reported that 274 people were killed in road accidents across Bangladesh during the 10 days surrounding Eid-ul-Fitr, from March 17 to the morning of March 26, 2026. The organization recorded a total of 342 accidents nationwide. This marks an increase from the previous year, when 249 people died in road crashes over an 11-day Eid holiday period. Major incidents included a bus-train collision in Cumilla on March 21 that killed 12 people and a bus sinking in the Padma River at Daulatdia ferry terminal in Rajbari on March 25 that left 26 dead.

According to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), 92 accidents occurred between March 17 and 23, resulting in 100 deaths and 217 injuries. A police headquarters study found that reckless driving caused 42 percent of the crashes, while unfit vehicles and unlicensed drivers worsened the situation.

Road safety experts emphasized that preventing such fatalities requires banning unfit vehicles, ensuring proper driver training, and establishing modern highway traffic systems.

A statement by Syed Mehedi Ahmed Rumi, a former MP and defeated BNP candidate for Kushtia-4, has sparked widespread debate in the district. During an Independence Day discussion at the Kushtia District Shilpakala Academy auditorium on Thursday morning, Rumi said that his group had intentionally replaced the previous district commissioner because, in his words, “the government is ours.” The remark quickly spread on social media, drawing strong reactions.

Rumi alleged that he would have won the election by a margin of 100,000 votes if it had been fair, but lost by about 5,000 votes due to the actions of some “traitors” in the administration and his own party. He claimed to have received 140,000 votes and accused the then district commissioner Iqbal Hossain and parts of the Kumarkhali and Khoksa upazila administrations of working against him. He said he has filed a case in the High Court, with a hearing scheduled for June 24.

The event, organized by the district administration and chaired by current DC Touhid-bin-Hasan, was also attended by local officials and freedom fighters. The remarks have stirred significant political discussion in Kushtia.

Chattogram-10 Member of Parliament Saeed Al Noman has donated Tk 8.5 lakh to the family of expatriate Bangladeshi Abul Mohsin, who was killed in a missile strike in Bahrain during the Israel-Iran war. The donation was made on Friday to support the education of Mohsin’s only daughter, Tasnim Tamanna, on behalf of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Of the total amount, Tk 50,000 was handed over immediately for her higher secondary studies, while the remaining Tk 8 lakh will be provided through an offer letter to ensure her higher education.

Saeed Al Noman said the initiative was taken out of humanitarian responsibility to stand beside Mohsin’s family and to ensure that Tasnim Tamanna’s education continues uninterrupted. He stated that he has taken full responsibility for her education on behalf of the Prime Minister, emphasizing that education is the greatest strength in a person’s life. Several local BNP leaders were present during the donation event.

The contribution aims to secure Tasnim Tamanna’s future education and help her grow into a capable citizen of Bangladesh.

Amid an energy crisis caused by the ongoing Iran war, speculation spread on social media that India might impose a new lockdown. However, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government dismissed these rumors on Friday. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stated that no lockdown proposal is under consideration and urged the public not to spread misinformation during this sensitive global period.

The speculation intensified after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent parliamentary speech, where he mentioned preparations due to disruptions in energy supply and international markets. Officials clarified that Modi did not refer to any lockdown or movement restrictions. Government representatives described the panic as irresponsible and warned that false claims could cause unnecessary fear and disrupt daily life.

Puri added that the government is closely monitoring energy and power supply conditions, prioritizing stability and continuity over restrictions. Rising tensions near the Strait of Hormuz have strained global crude oil and energy markets, leading to confusion linking the current situation with India’s 2020 COVID-19 lockdown experience.

State Minister for Social Welfare Farzana Sharmin has called for greater public awareness and enforcement of existing laws to build a tobacco-free society. Speaking on Friday at a discussion organized by Nari Moitree at the Poet Shamsur Rahman Room of Bangla Academy, she said Bangladesh has more laws than many other countries but citizens must become more conscious to respect and follow them.

Sharmin noted that despite having strict laws, including the death penalty for rape and a tobacco control law enacted in 2005, problems such as tobacco use and drug abuse persist. She emphasized that smoking and drug use lead to serious health risks, including cancer and kidney diseases, and urged young people to reject such habits.

The minister highlighted the role of families in guiding youth away from harmful behaviors and stressed that parents should raise awareness among their children. She described young people as a source of inspiration and learning for society.

A Facebook post by Jahidul Islam Apu, convener of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal’s Kedarapur Union branch in Babuganj, Barishal, has stirred controversy in local politics. In the post, which also conveyed Eid-ul-Azha greetings, Apu expressed his wish to see Awami League member and former Kedarapur Union chairman Md. Nure Alam Bepari as a candidate for the same position again. The post included a photo card featuring Bepari’s image and greetings to residents of Kedarapur Union.

Local Sramik Dal leaders criticized the post, calling it contrary to the party’s ideology and discipline. Acting general secretary Md. Mizanur Rahman Mintu said organizational action would be taken if the allegation proved true. Sramik Dal president Farid Hossain also stated that no officeholder is allowed to make such statements or posts. Attempts to reach Apu for comment were unsuccessful as his phone remained switched off.

Several BNP and affiliated organization leaders demanded swift organizational measures, saying a party officeholder cannot publicly support a rival political figure. The incident has triggered mixed reactions across the local political scene.

Israeli forces prevented Palestinians from performing Friday prayers on Salah al-Din Street in occupied Jerusalem, according to a report by Wafa News Agency. Local sources said the forces entered the area and gave several dozen worshippers and an imam only three minutes to leave their prayer spots before forcibly dispersing them.

The incident occurred amid the continued closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which has remained shut for the past 28 days. The closure has affected worshippers who typically gather there for prayers, leading some to attempt to pray in nearby streets such as Salah al-Din.

The report did not specify whether any arrests or injuries occurred during the dispersal, and no official comment from Israeli authorities was mentioned.

Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon declared that examinations in Bangladesh will no longer be conducted in the manner seen during the Awami League era. Speaking on Friday, March 27, 2026, at a meeting with education board officials and heads of institutions at the Cumilla Education Board conference room, he said that cheating in public exams had once been initiated and later stopped by teachers, but under the Hasina government, it had become widespread. He emphasized that teachers now have a crucial role in ensuring fair examinations.

Milon stated that teachers are the builders of future Bangladesh and described the Ministry of Education as a sacred responsibility entrusted to him by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. He urged teachers to view their work as a form of devotion and moral duty. The minister announced that upcoming examinations, including the SSC, will be entirely free of cheating.

He further directed that all examination centers and educational institutions be brought under continuous CCTV surveillance, not only during exams but at all times, to ensure transparency and accountability.