Many Petrol Pumps Closed: Customers Face Hardship Staff Correspondent, Dhaka (Saturday, March 7, 2026)Many Petrol Pumps Closed: Customers Face HardshipStaff Reporter, Dhaka (Saturday, March 7, 2026):Several petrol pumps across the capital remained closed since morning, creating fresh difficulties for consumers. To reduce public anxiety, petrol pump owners have demanded that fuel depots remain open on Saturdays. A visit to different petrol pumps in the capital showed that many stations were closed. At Ramna Petrol Pump in front of Matsya Bhaban, a crowd gathered as a motorcyclist argued with the owner. Nazmul Haque, President of the Petrol Pump Owners Association, said customers bought more fuel than usual on Friday.

Labour and Employment and Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury on Saturday warned that those responsible for disrupting law and order in Sylhet will not be spared under any circumstances. Chowdhury said the Prime Minister has declared a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and extortion. On Friday, Khandker Abdul Muktadir, Member of Parliament for Sylhet-1 and Minister for Industries and Commerce, also issued a strong warning against snatchers. A day later, former Sylhet mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury reiterated a tough stance against such criminals. Meanwhile, Abdul Qaiyum Chowdhury, administrator of the Sylhet City Corporation, said the authorities are committed to maintaining peace in the city.

Women are steadily strengthening their presence in Bangladesh’s legal profession, taking on roles as lawyers and judges despite longstanding structural and social barriers. Of the 2,233 judges serving in subordinate courts nationwide, 677 are women, indicating a gradual rise in female representation within the judicial system. “Many women are now joining the legal profession while managing family life. Women on the benchSenior lawyer and human rights activist Fauzia Karim Firoz said women are not only entering the legal profession but also advancing to leadership roles within the judiciary. Persistent challengesDespite these gains, women lawyers continue to face several structural and cultural challenges within the profession.

Some female candidates say social attitudes also influenced the campaign environment. Limited party nominationsPolitical analysts say the low number of elected women reflects the small number of female candidates nominated by parties. The July National Charter 2025 also encouraged parties to nominate at least 5% women candidates in this election, with a long-term goal of reaching 33%. The eighth parliament in 2001 had seven directly elected women, the same number seen again in 2026. Rights advocates say improving representation will require more female nominations, supportive campaign environments and stronger roles for women within political parties.

Many women leaders remain politically visible but institutionally constrained, with limited authority over development planning, budgeting and decision-making. Expansion of representationWomen’s participation in local government expanded significantly after reforms introduced reserved seats in Union Parishads in 1997. Similar arrangements exist in urban local bodies, while Upazila Parishads reserve the vice-chairman position for women. The Local Government Reform Commission Bangladesh previously described the system as one of the most extensive frameworks for women’s local political representation in South Asia. “The challenge is expanding those spaces.”Moving from access to authorityExperts say strengthening women’s political participation requires institutional reforms beyond quotas.

More than 30 hurt in explosion at Peru discoLIMA, March 7, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - An explosion inside a nightclub in northern Peru injured 33 people early Saturday, according to authorities investigating the incident in a region plagued by organized crime. Dozens of people were in the club enjoying a cumbia performance when an explosion shook the facility, according to images on local channel Sol TV Peru. "We have 33 injuries reported so far, including five in serious condition," regional health manager Alberto Florian told the Latina Noticias television broadcast. Peru more broadly is experiencing a serious crime crisis. Last year there were 2,200 homicides related to organized crime, according to police data.

Tehran residents keep up semblance of normality amid destructionTEHRAN, March 7, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - For a moment Tehran resembled a city at peace, with birdsong, joggers and tranquil views of the snow-capped Alborz mountains in the distance. A week ago, opening strikes by the US and Israel killed Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, upended residents' lives and transformed the city streets into a battleground. Chaotic scenes followed of panicked passers-by, parents scrambling to retrieve their children from school, queues at bakeries and endless traffic jams. - 'Ramadan War' -In the first days of the war, Tehran could seem like a ghost town. The blockades made for traffic jams on the avenues, where other traffic was mostly restricted to scooters and delivery riders.

According to port sources, four ships are carrying about 247,000 tonnes of LNG, mainly imported from Ras Laffan Port in Qatar. The safe arrival of the vessels in Bangladesh before the escalation of conflict has brought relief to the country's energy and import supply chain. Among the vessels are LNG tankers "Lusail" and "Al Galael", which are carrying fuel for marine vessels and raw materials required by local industries. Most of the ships have already reached the port, while the remaining vessels are scheduled to arrive in stages. Their timely arrival has helped ease concerns over the country's energy and import supplies amid rising tensions in the Middle East.

Growing military tensions in the Middle East have begun to exert pressure on Bangladesh’s industrial and energy sectors. Any reduction in gas supply for electricity generation or industrial use could disrupt production operations. They say that disruptions in energy supply could slow industrial output and place pressure on export sectors. Officials in the energy sector say rising military tensions involving Iran, the United States, and Israel have created uncertainty in the global energy supply chain. In addition, gas supply to most fertilizer factories has been temporarily suspended, except for the Shahjalal Fertilizer Factory in Sylhet.

To counter the potential economic impact of the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, eight top economists in the country have suggested conserving foreign exchange reserves, not cutting policy interest rates now, and controlling abnormal fluctuations in the dollar market. The economists said in the meeting that the full impact of the current tensions in the Middle East is not yet clear. The meeting also called for initiatives to reduce dependence on the Middle East and procure energy from alternative sources to address the risk of energy supply. Economists said that if the situation in the Middle East worsens, there may be disruptions in the movement of workers, which may affect the flow of remittances. The economists also proposed the formation of a special committee to regularly monitor the overall economic situation of the country.

Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury today visited the Amar Ekushey Book Fair. Photo : PIDDHAKA, Mar 7, 2026 (BSS) - Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury today said the Amar Ekushey Book Fair is not merely a place for buying and selling books, but also an important gathering for the promotion of language, culture and free thinking. He made the remarks while visiting the Amar Ekushey Book Fair in the capital. State Minister for Cultural Affairs Ali Nawaz Mahmud Khayyam accompanied him during the visit. He also welcomed the expansion of the publishing industry and praised the creative initiatives of emerging writers centered on the book fair.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain Bokul on Saturday made a surprise visit to Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex where he found several irregularities, including the absence of doctors and officials, discrepancies in leave approvals, and shortcomings in hospital services. The minister arrived at the hospital unexpectedly around 10:00 am and immediately entered the facility. After learning about the minister’s sudden visit, several doctors arrived at the hospital around 10:30 am. The minister also visited the male and female wards and spoke with admitted patients about the medical services they were receiving. The minister recorded the complaints and listened to the demands of hospital employees, noting them down as well.

He said the tendency to politicize state institutions, seen during Sheikh Hasina’s previous tenure, is now emerging under the current government. Addressing the discussion as the chief guest, Nahid urged the ruling party to act responsibly. He also accused the ruling party of betraying the people’s mandate. “After the July popular uprising, the long-awaited election was held, but that election has been questioned in various ways. According to the July Charter, we were sworn in, yet the ruling party has dishonored the commitment of the July mandate,” he said.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said women hold just 64% of the legal rights enjoyed by men worldwide. The day focuses on rights, action and justice for all women and girls. Where legal protections do exist, discrimination and weak enforcement mean women still struggle to access courts and legal support, Guterres said. Guterres said they must unite to deliver on the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Beijing+30 Action Agenda. It is time to make justice a reality for women and girls, everywhere,” Guterres.

WASHINGTON, United States, March 7, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The US State Department approved the sale of $151.8 million worth of munitions to Israel on Friday as the countries engage Iran in an escalating Middle East war. The sale of 12,000 requested 1,000-pound (470-kilogram) bomb bodies was approved by the State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, according to a press release. "The proposed sale will improve Israel's capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and serve as a deterrent to regional threats," the bureau said in a statement.