Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Monir Hossain Chowdhury disclosed this at a press conference at the Secretariat today. Photo: BSSDHAKA, April 02, 2026 (BSS) – The government has instructed Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to ensure the availability of diesel for farmers across the country. Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Monir Hossain Chowdhury disclosed this at a press conference at the Secretariat today. He said a virtual meeting was held between the ministry and DCs of all 64 districts. During the meeting, DCs were directed to take necessary measures to supply diesel to farmers as per demand, as the country has sufficient stock.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain -File photoDHAKA, April 2, 2026 (BSS) - Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain today said the incumbent government is fully prepared to prevent measles, with nationwide vaccination scheduled to begin from Sunday. Sakhawat Husain said measles has emerged suddenly. "However, within a short time, we are now fully prepared to prevent measles. The health minister said all necessary measures have been taken to prevent the outbreak of measles across the country, including Dhaka and Rajshahi. Referring to the contribution of doctors, Sakhawat Husain asked doctors to provide healthcare to patients following medical ethics.

DHAKA, Apr 2, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh hockey team got off to a winning start in the Men’s Asian Games Qualifier beating Chinese Taipei by 4-3 goals in their opening pool B match held in Bangkok, Thailand. National teams from across Asia are participating in this prestigious tournament for qualification to the Asian Games. Bangladesh pitted in Pool B along with Sri Lanka, Chinese Taipei and Uzbekistan, will play their remaining group matches against Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan on April 3 and 6 respectively. The top six teams from this qualifying round will qualify for the Asian Games. The 2026 Asian Games, also known as 20th Asian Games will be Aichi–Nagoya, Japan from September 19 to October 4.

NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar, April 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Myanmar lawmakers will elect a new president on Friday, the parliamentary speaker said, with junta leader Min Aung Hlaing one of three candidates for the post. The former commander in chief has led Myanmar since 2021, when he ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and triggered a civil war. He was one of three vice presidents elected by lawmakers on Tuesday, receiving 247 of 260 votes in the lower house. "Among the three vice presidents... (members of parliament) have to vote to select and elect the one vice president they prefer as the President," parliamentary speaker Aung Lin Dwe said Thursday, adding the vote will be held at 10:00 am (0330 GMT). But after Aung San Suu Kyi trounced the USDP in a landslide in 2020 elections, Min Aung Hlaing snatched back power.

DHAKA, Apr 2, 2026 (BSS) – Bangladesh currently has 2.5 lakh metric tons of fuel oil in stock and as a result, the fuel supply situation is normal. He said the largest amount of fuel stored is diesel – 1,22,660 metric tons, which is about 63 percent of the total fuel. Besides, there are 9,210 metric tons of octane in stock, which is enough to meet the needs of personal vehicles and high-performance engines, and the stock of petrol is 12,194 metric tons, he said. Monir Hossain also informed that the stock of jet fuel is 41,876 metric tons, while furnace oil 58,736 metric tons, kerosene 9,378 metric tons and marine fuel 1,153 metric tons. He mentioned that the current fuel stock is sufficient to meet the country's energy needs.

TOKYO, April 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Nils Nielsen is leaving as Japan coach less than two weeks after taking them to Women's Asian Cup glory, the football association said Thursday. Greenlander Nielsen led Japan to their third Asian title in four tournaments, beating hosts Australia 1-0 in the final in Sydney on March 21. "Japan women's manager Nils Nielsen is stepping down following the expiry of his contract," the JFA said in a statement. Japan won plaudits for their performances at the Asian Cup, where they scored 29 goals and conceded just one. Nielsen previously coached Denmark and Switzerland's women's teams and served as the technical director of Manchester City's women's side.

TEHRAN, April 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Strikes have hit a century-old medical centre in the Iranian capital, causing extensive damage, the country's health ministry said on Thursday. "The aggression against Pasteur Institute of Iran -- a century-old pillar of global health and member of International Pasteur Network -- is a direct assault on international health security," said health ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour in a post on X. He posted images from the site showing the building heavily damaged, with parts of the facility reduced to rubble.

TEHRAN, April 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Iran's military announced on Wednesday evening a new wave of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US bases in the Gulf, though there was no immediate word from either of any direct hits. In a statement, the military's central command, Khatam Al-Anbiya, said the targets included Israeli cities such as Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean coast and Eilat on the Red Sea, as well as US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait. The announcement came hours before US President Donald Trump was set to make a highly anticipated address on the state of the war, which began on February 28 with a wave of US-Israel attacks against the Islamic republic.

MANADO, Indonesia, April 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A major 7.4-magnitude quake struck off the coast of eastern Indonesia on Thursday, killing one person, damaging buildings and sending people running into the streets in panic. The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) initially said hazardous tsunami waves were possible within 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) of the epicentre along the coasts of Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. The PTWC lifted its warning just over two hours after the tremor, saying the tsunami threat "has now passed". The PTWC had initially warned that tsunami waves of up to one metre were possible for parts of Indonesia, and smaller ones were possible for the Philippines, Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan, Guam and Palau. A magnitude-9.1 quake struck the westernmost Aceh province in 2004, causing a tsunami and killing more than 170,000 people in Indonesia.

Symbolic PhotoDHAKA, Apr 2, 2026 (BSS) - About 372,388 litres of illegally stored fuel have been recovered during the drives of energy and mineral resources division across the country. The fuel was recovered during the mobile court drives conducted from March 3 to April 1 to ensure proper fuel management. According to official data, 2, 71,374 litres of diesel, 30,960 litres of octane and 70,054 litres of petrol were recovered during the drives. The Energy and Mineral Resources Division has intensified such drives to prevent fuel hoarding and artificial fuel crisis. Strict action is being taken against those involved in fuel hoarding through regular monitoring and mobile court drives, said sources at the Energy and Mineral Resources Division.

WASHINGTON, United States, April 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Amazon is in talks to buy US satellite telecoms group Globalstar, seeking to boost its bid to rival Elon Musk's Starlink, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. It comes after Musk's SpaceX, which operates the Starlink satellite internet service, filed papers for what could be the largest-ever public stock offering. AFP has contacted Amazon, Globalstar and Apple for comment. The Financial Times report said no deal had been struck and discussions could still collapse. Globalstar told the Financial Times it "does not comment on industry speculation or rumours," while Amazon declined to respond.

TOKYO, April 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - French President Emmanuel Macron left Japan on Thursday bound for fellow US ally South Korea, a day after praising Europe's "predictability" in an apparent swipe at Donald Trump over the Iran war. In Japan, Macron signed a roadmap on critical minerals and defence cooperation and on Thursday held more talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and met the imperial couple with his wife Brigitte. Let South Korea, who was not helpful to us, by the way.You know, we only have 45,000 soldiers in harm's way over there, right next to a nuclear force. Let South Korea do it," Trump said, referring to North Korea. The United States has around 28,500 troops in South Korea.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday met with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Photo: MoFADHAKA, April 2, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh has conveyed a message of solidarity with the United Arab Emirates amid ongoing regional tensions, following a meeting between Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir and UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday evening. Kabir handed over a personal letter from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to the UAE foreign minister, addressed to UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a Foreign Ministry press release said here today. In the letter, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expressed "firm solidarity" with the UAE leadership, government and brotherly people in light of the current conflict situation. The UAE minister also expressed his government's gratefulness for Bangladesh's solidarity and support.

NASA teams and spectators alike were ecstatic as the spacecraft ascended into a radiant sky atop a cascade of flames. US President Donald Trump praised "our brave astronauts," calling the successful launch "quite something" at the top of his televised address on the war against Iran. Isaacman also emphasized the historic nature of Wednesday's launch: "NASA is back in the business of sending people to the Moon." The mission marks a series of historic accomplishments: it will send the first person of color, the first woman and the first non-American on a lunar mission. It is also the inaugural crewed flight of NASA's new lunar rocket, dubbed the Space Launch System.

LONDON, April 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - England white-ball captain Harry Brook and team-mate Jacob Bethell have been warned about their future conduct after a nightclub incident on the pre-Ashes tour of New Zealand last year. The Cricket Regulator -- a body independent of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) responsible for enforcing regulations -- on Wednesday issued cautions to Brook and Bethell for breaching player conduct rules. Brook and Bethell both played in the match the next day, which England lost by two wickets to complete a 3-0 series defeat. The Regulator "issued a caution notice to Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell in relation to their conduct", said a statement. England players were photographed spending hours in bars during a mid-series beach resort break, with a video of an apparently drunk Ben Duckett circulating on social media.