US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s recent briefings on the ‘Epic Fury’ strategy toward Iran reflect ideas similar to those proposed by Italian General Giulio Douhet more than a century ago. Douhet, in his 1921 book ‘The Command of the Air,’ argued that future wars would be decided by large-scale aerial bombardment targeting not only military forces but also civilians, infrastructure, and supply systems. Hegseth’s emphasis on destroying Iran through airstrikes echoes this early 20th-century doctrine.

Although Hegseth has described his approach as a new American strategy, the resemblance to Douhet’s concepts suggests it is not an innovative war policy. The US official has also spoken about breaking civilian morale, stating that their mission involves killing enemies and undermining their will to fight. He expressed hope that the Iranian people would seize what he called an extraordinary opportunity, aligning with President Donald Trump’s message that “now is your time.”

The report highlights that the belief in easy victory through air power may be a misconception, as history shows the limits of such strategies.

Following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, public concern has grown in Bangladesh over the country’s fuel reserves and supply duration. Despite government assurances that there is no fuel crisis, long queues have formed at filling stations, and reports of disputes between customers and sellers have surfaced. According to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, as of March 31, Bangladesh held 128,939 metric tons of diesel, 7,940 metric tons of octane, 11,431 metric tons of petrol, and 44,609 metric tons of jet fuel. Experts estimate that the current diesel stock could last around 11 days, though new imports from Malaysia and India are expected to replenish supplies.

Energy officials maintain that monthly demand will be met and that the situation is under control. However, experts warn that Bangladesh’s limited storage capacity—only 30 to 40 days of supply—poses a risk to energy security. The government has deployed “tag officers” to monitor fuel stations and launched nationwide drives against illegal hoarding. On March 30, 391 raids resulted in 191 cases, fines totaling about one million taka, and the recovery of over 80,000 liters of fuel.

Energy Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud stated that Bangladesh is also exploring alternative fuel sources and maintaining supply contracts with India, Malaysia, and Singapore.

A Mexican immigrant died while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in Los Angeles, bringing the total number of deaths in ICE detention to 14 during the first three months of 2026. ICE confirmed the death on Monday, stating that security staff at the Adelanto Detention Center found José Guadalupe Ramos unconscious in his bunk. He was taken to a local hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

ICE reported that Ramos had been arrested on February 23 in Torrance, California. He had prior convictions in 2025 for drug possession and theft. Medical examinations at the time of his detention revealed diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension. In 2025, at least 31 people died in ICE custody, the highest number in two decades, and the figure continues to rise. Critics have described the detention policy as deadly for detainees.

Mexico’s foreign minister said the government will raise the issue of migrant detainee deaths with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

A Jubo Dal leader in Kishoreganj was allegedly abducted and severely beaten by a BNP leader after refusing to pay extortion money. The victim, Babul Mia, convener of Latibabad Union Jubo Dal, was reportedly taken from his business premises in the Katabaria area near the regional passport office on Tuesday afternoon. He was admitted to Shaheed Syed Nazrul Islam Medical College Hospital with broken limbs.

According to Babul Mia, BNP’s joint general secretary of the upazila unit, Shahidul Islam Shahid, demanded Tk 6,000 from him. After Babul refused and informed the police, he was allegedly abducted and assaulted by Shahid’s associates. Babul’s father, Md. Hadis Mia, later filed a written complaint with the Sadar Model Police Station, naming Shahidul Islam as the main accused along with five others.

Shahidul Islam denied the allegations, claiming he had no dispute with Babul and was not involved in extortion. The officer-in-charge of Kishoreganj Model Police Station confirmed receiving the complaint and said an investigation is underway.

A Bangladeshi national was killed in a drone-related incident in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, according to the country’s official media office. Gulf News reported that a drone was shot down in the area, and debris from the destroyed aircraft struck the Bangladeshi worker, who was employed at a farm in Fujairah’s Al Riffa area. The incident occurred as authorities were monitoring the situation on site.

The UAE has not yet released the victim’s name or further personal details. Officials stated that security forces are working to ensure safety in the surrounding areas and are closely observing developments. They urged the public to rely solely on official sources for information and warned that spreading unverified reports could cause unnecessary panic.

Authorities continue to assess the situation in Fujairah, emphasizing the importance of accurate information dissemination during such security incidents.

A Russian military transport aircraft crashed in Crimea, killing 29 people, according to the country’s defense ministry. The incident occurred on the evening of March 31 near a mountain peak close to the Black Sea. The ministry confirmed that the victims included six crew members and 23 civilian passengers. The aircraft, identified as an AN-26, disappeared from radar around 8 p.m. Moscow time while on a scheduled flight within Crimea.

Russian authorities have not clarified the total number of people on board, but no survivors have been reported. State news agencies TASS and RIA cited defense officials as saying that preliminary investigations suggest a technical malfunction caused the crash.

The AN-26 model has been in service since the 1960s and is primarily used for cargo transport. Several previous accidents involving this aircraft type have been recorded, according to the report.

A grocery shopkeeper named Dilshad Ali in Nawabganj upazila of Dinajpur has been fined Tk 50,000 for selling petrol at an inflated price. The fine was imposed on Tuesday night by Upazila Nirbahi Officer and Executive Magistrate Md. Zillur Rahman during a drive in the Daudpur Bazar area. Dilshad, son of the late Yakub Ali from Laugari village in Daudpur Union, was reportedly selling petrol at Tk 350 per litre.

The action was part of a local administrative effort to curb overpricing of essential commodities and ensure compliance with government-set fuel prices. The inspection and penalty were carried out under the authority of the upazila administration.

The report did not mention whether further legal measures or follow-up monitoring would take place after the fine.

The government has appointed new deputy commissioners in four districts—Rajbari, Thakurgaon, Pabna, and Rangpur. The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification on Wednesday announcing the appointments.

According to the notification, Afroza Parvin, Director of the Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority, has been appointed as the Deputy Commissioner of Rajbari. Mohammad Rafiqul Haque, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, will serve as the Deputy Commissioner of Thakurgaon. Aminul Islam, also a Deputy Secretary of the same ministry, has been assigned to Pabna, while Mohammad Ruhul Amin, Secretary (Deputy Secretary) of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), has been appointed as the Deputy Commissioner of Rangpur.

The appointments reflect routine administrative reshuffling by the government to strengthen local governance and ensure effective district-level administration.

A new Reuters and Ipsos poll reveals that about two-thirds of Americans believe the United States should quickly end the Iran war, even if its stated goals have not yet been achieved. The survey, conducted from Friday to Sunday, found that 66 percent of respondents favored a rapid conclusion to the conflict, while 27 percent supported continuing the war until objectives are met. Six percent did not respond to the question.

The poll also highlights divisions among supporters of former President Donald Trump’s Republican Party. Around 40 percent of Republican respondents favored ending the war soon, whereas 57 percent believed the U.S. should remain engaged until its goals are fulfilled. The survey, which included 1,021 participants, indicates that public support for the war is steadily declining among the general population.

According to the report, the findings suggest growing war fatigue among Americans and increasing pressure on policymakers to reconsider the duration and objectives of U.S. involvement in the Iran conflict.

The district administration in Narayanganj seized 9,100 liters of illegally stored diesel in Siddhirganj on Tuesday night. The operation was led by Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate Rashed Khan in the Godnail area. Following the seizure, a mobile court sentenced one individual to two months in jail for involvement in the illegal fuel storage.

According to district administration sources, the raid was conducted based on confidential information. The seized fuel was found stored without authorization, prompting immediate legal action. Executive Magistrate Rashed Khan stated that similar drives will continue to curb illegal fuel hoarding in the area.

The operation reflects ongoing enforcement efforts by local authorities to prevent unauthorized fuel trading and ensure compliance with energy regulations in Narayanganj.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that seven people were killed and at least twenty-one others were injured in Israeli airstrikes targeting southern Beirut and nearby areas. According to an official statement, five people died and twenty-one were wounded in an attack on the Jnah area of Beirut. Another strike on a car in Khaldeh, just south of the capital, killed two more people and injured three.

The ministry released two separate statements detailing the casualties from the attacks, which occurred in densely populated urban zones. The incidents mark another escalation in violence affecting Lebanon’s capital and its southern suburbs.

The report, citing The Guardian, did not provide further details about the targets or the timing of the strikes, leaving the broader context of the attacks unclear.

Police in Meherpur district seized 5,375 liters of diesel allegedly stored illegally during a late-night raid in Dakshin Shalika village, a border area under Meherpur Sadar upazila. The operation took place around 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, led by Additional Superintendent of Police Zaminur Rahman, with teams from Sadar Police Station and the Detective Branch participating. The diesel was found in 25 barrels inside a warehouse belonging to Farabi Traders.

The owner of Farabi Traders, Abu Sufian, was taken into police custody for questioning following the seizure. According to Meherpur Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Humayun Kabir, the confiscated fuel was discovered in a shop’s storage facility in the village’s western neighborhood. The operation was based on a tip-off received by law enforcement.

Authorities have not yet disclosed further details about the source of the diesel or whether additional arrests are expected as the investigation continues.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested a total of 54 individuals in separate special operations conducted in the Jatrabari and Hazaribagh areas of the capital. The operations took place on Tuesday and targeted people allegedly involved in various criminal activities. Police also recovered illegal drugs during the raids.

According to Jatrabari Police Station, 11 suspects were detained from different parts of the area, and officers seized 100 grams of cannabis, nine yaba tablets, and 44 packets of heroin. In Hazaribagh, police arrested 43 individuals and recovered 33 packets of cannabis and 27 yaba tablets. All detainees have been sent to court following the arrests.

Assistant Police Commissioner Arifa Akhter Preeti from DMP’s Media and Public Relations Division stated that such operations will continue to maintain law and order in the city.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman announced in parliament that the newly introduced Family Card program will enhance women’s control over household assets. The card will be issued in the name of the female head of each family, ensuring that assistance is directly spent on food, nutrition, emergency healthcare, and education. Rahman said this initiative will strengthen women’s decision-making power and social status within families, contributing to broader empowerment across society.

Responding to a question from BNP lawmaker A.B.M. Mosharraf Hossain during a parliamentary session chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, the Prime Minister explained that the program began on March 10 across 15 wards in 13 districts. So far, 37,814 female-headed families have received allowances under the scheme. An additional 30,000 families are expected to be included within the current fiscal year.

Rahman added that over the next four years, the Family Card program will gradually expand to cover 40 million families nationwide, aiming to institutionalize women’s economic participation and household leadership.

Japan has deployed long-range missiles in its southwestern region close to China, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced on Tuesday. The missiles have been stationed in Kumamoto, Kyushu, as part of Tokyo’s effort to strengthen its military capabilities in response to increased Chinese naval activity in the East China Sea. Koizumi said the deployment would enhance Japan’s deterrence against potential aggression and ensure the safety of its forces.

The land-to-ship guided missile system has a range of about 1,000 kilometers, bringing parts of China’s mainland, including Shanghai, within reach. Koizumi also confirmed the deployment of a “hyper velocity gliding projectile” in Shizuoka to protect remote islands. Japan, traditionally committed to a self-defense-only policy, has been expanding its defense posture amid growing military activity from China, Russia, and North Korea. In 2022, Tokyo approved plans to deploy counterstrike-capable missiles.

Local media reported that Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force moved missile launchers into Kumamoto without prior notice to residents, prompting small-scale protests near a military base. Critics warned that the deployment could make nearby areas potential targets.