UN chief slams 'unlawful attacks', says Mideast could spiral out of controlUNITED NATIONS, United States, March 6, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Friday "unlawful attacks" across the Middle East and warned that the situation could spiral out of control as the conflict spreads to multiple countries. US and Israeli forces launched a massive air campaign against Iran on February 28. "All the unlawful attacks in the Middle East and beyond are causing tremendous suffering and harm to civilians throughout the region -- and pose a grave risk to the global economy, particularly to the most vulnerable people," Guterres said. "The situation could spiral beyond anyone's control. Fletcher said "we're seeing a sustained attack against the systems and laws meant to restrain us from our worst instincts and from reckless warfare."

The Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has set a limit on the sale of fuel oil at the consumer level amid concerns over the stock in the country. There are reports that some consumers are also trying to buy fuel oil in excess of their needs and store it illegally. Under the circumstances, the BPC has fixed the amount of fuel oil per daily trip according to the type of vehicle. The original copy of previous purchase receipts will have to be submitted the next time they purchase oil. The BPC also added that the government has not taken any decision on increasing the price of fuel oil under the current circumstances.

Around 81% of women in Khulna have experienced some form of violence at least once in their lives, according to findings presented at the inauguration of a project aimed at strengthening women’s economic empowerment through the informal urban economy. The statistics also showed that 2.15% of Khulna city residents live below the lower poverty line, while 10.2% fall within the upper poverty line. Under the project, 1,160 women from 31 wards under Khulna City Corporation will directly benefit, while around 6,000 people will benefit indirectly. Senior Manager of World Vision’s Khulna Area Programme Coordination Office, Fuli Sarkar, said the initiative will provide business management and entrepreneurship training to 1,160 women, technical skills development training to 400 women, and financial support for business development to 600 women. Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate Umme Salma Khanam said economic empowerment should not only focus on income but also encourage women to become self-reliant while ensuring their mental well-being.

The government recently cancelled the appointment of Faruk Ahmed, who had been serving as managing director of the company responsible for operating Dhaka’s metro rail system. What makes the decision particularly confusing is that Ahmed was the first specialist to head the organization. Reports indicate that during his tenure, Ahmed pushed contractors and consultants to reduce project costs, insisted on replacing substandard materials, and identified dozens of technical flaws in the metro rail system that required correction. Yet his removal has now resulted in the role being handed, at least temporarily, to a bureaucrat from the transport ministry. Running a metro rail system is not simply another administrative assignment.

It has long been a recurring commitment in Bangladesh to protect women and children from violence. Yet, despite stronger laws and repeated assurances, the grim reality suggests that this promise still remains far from fulfilled. Recent reports of violence against women and children continue to emerge with alarming regularity. Protecting women and children is not a mere matter of policy declarations. Until then, assurances of protection will continue to ring hollow, and the women and children of our country will remain deprived of the safety they deserve.

Since its official recognition by the United Nations in 1975, International Women’s Day has grown in visibility and voice. In 2025, women globally enjoy only a fraction of the legal rights afforded to men. In its 2025 review of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nations acknowledged that gender equality remains elusive. The Women’s Affairs Reform Commission had proposed criminalizing marital rape, ensuring equal parental rights, introducing a unified family law framework, and protecting women’s inheritance rights. The demand is clear and urgent: rights, not rhetoric; justice, not justification; action, not delay.

In the past week or so, I kept returning to “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution,” as I scrolled through Bangladeshi Facebook timelines, watching debates multiply in real time around Zaima Rahman, daughter of Bangladesh’s newly elected prime minister, Tariq Rahman. Over the past few weeks, I have watched two parallel debates emerge around dance, female visibility, legitimacy, and power. One side of this debate centres on Zaima Rahman. Reading Goldman today, I see echoes of that tension in the debates around Zaima Rahman and Arthy Ahmed. “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution.” In Bangladesh today, this line reads not as nostalgia but as a challenge.

As Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of Muslims, is drawing closer, vermicelli factories in various upazilas of Jamalpur have become very busy. However, some factories are producing low-quality vermicelli in an unhygienic environment, posing a serious threat to public health. It has been learnt that such low-quality vermicelli is being produced in almost all upazilas across Jamalpur. Sanitary Inspector Rabeya Begum acknowledged the issue, stating that vermicelli is being produced in unsanitary conditions using low-quality oil. Without strict action, they said, joy of Eid could be overshadowed by the health risks posed by adulterated food products.

The intricate design of black basalt stone has been etched in my mind since childhood, thanks to the Taka 5 banknote. True to its moniker—the "Black Gem of Bengal"—Kusumba’s dark basalt stones stood as a cool, ancient anchor against the shimmering heat of the Barind Tract. The central Mihrab, encased in black stone, features highly crafted hanging chains and leaf designs. What makes Kusumba truly unique among Sultanate-era mosques is its reliance on meticulous relief work over traditional terracotta. Its beauty lies in the high-precision carving of water pots, serpentine vines, and intricate rosettes into flat stone surfaces.

The National Jute Day- 2026 was observed in Rangpur city with the theme 'Develop the jute industry, create employment' and various programmes today. Photo: BSSRANGPUR, March 6, 2026 (BSS) - The National Jute Day- 2026 was observed in Rangpur city with the theme 'Develop the jute industry, create employment' and various programmes today. Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Enamul Ahsan attended the post-rally discussion held at his conference room as the chief guest. "The future of this industry and the livelihood of jute farmers largely depend on the demand for jute in the market," he said. Government officials, jute farmers, jute traders and journalists were present at the programmes.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan on Friday said ensuring a respectable wage board for journalists is essential to elevate the media industry to a dignified level and retain talented professionals in the profession. Swapan said the media industry cannot operate under any law that allows owners to avoid paying journalists’ salaries. The minister said implementing the wage board and ensuring accountability in the overall process of newspaper registration are matters of national interest. DRU President Abu Saleh Akon chaired the event, while its General Secretary Mynul Hasan Sohel conducted the event. Prime Minister's Press Secretary Saleh Shibli, former general secretary of Jatiya Press Club Elias Khan, Managing Director of the Journalists Welfare Trust Muhammad Abdullah, Jatiya Press Club General Secretary Ayub Bhuiyan, Dhaka Union of Journalists General Secretary Khurshid Alam, and former and current leaders of DRU were present.

A mourning meeting and remembrance gathering were held in Dhaka on Friday to mark the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The event was organized by the Bangladesh representative office of the Office of the Leader of Iran, the Bangladesh representative office of Al-Mustafa International University and the Bangladesh Imamia Ulama Society. Special guests included Hojjatul Islam Wal Muslimeen Shahabuddin Mashayekhi Rad, Bangladesh representative of Iran’s Al-Mustafa International University and Seyyed Reza Mirmohammadi, cultural counsellor of the Iran Cultural Centre in Dhaka. Speakers at the event described the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a clear disregard for the global order and a violation of international law. They criticized the attacks carried out during the holy month of Ramadan, accusing Israel and the United States of demonstrating what they called “terrorist behaviour”.

BGB has seized a large consignment of Indian medicines,narcotics and other smuggled goods during separate operations in the Kushtia border area. Photo: BSSKUSHTIA, March 06, 2026 (BSS) - The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has seizeda large consignment of Indian medicines, narcotics, and other smuggled goodsduring separate operations in the Kushtia border area. The 47th Battalion of the BGB conducted the raids, recovering contraband withan estimated total value approximately Taka 60 lakh. The information was confirmed through a press release issued today by thecommander of the 47th BGB Rashed Kamal Roni. The BGB reported that the majority of the seized items, including Indianmedicines and smuggled goods, were recovered in an unclaimed or ownerlessstate from areas adjacent to the border.

Photo : BSSDHAKA, Mar 6, 2026 (BSS) - Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan today said ensuring a respectable wage board for journalists is essential to elevate the media industry to a dignified level and retain talented professionals in the profession. Swapan said the media industry cannot operate under any law that allows owners to avoid paying journalists’ salaries. The minister said implementing the wage board and ensuring accountability in the overall process of newspaper registration are matters of national interest. DRU President Abu Saleh Akon chaired the event while its General Secretary Mynul Hasan Sohel conducted the event. During the session, the DRU general secretary placed several proposals before the information minister.

The US energy secretary said Friday the US Navy was preparing to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as it’s reasonable to do it,” as traffic through the key trade route remains strangled due to the US-Israel war on Iran. “As soon as it’s reasonable to do it, we’ll escort ships through the straits and get the energy moving again,” Chris Wright told US broadcaster Fox News’s “Fox and Friends” show. US President Donald Trump had said on Tuesday that the US Navy would “begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible” in a bid to avoid disruption of global oil supplies. A fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas travels through the strait. “On Thursday, day six of the conflict, commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained virtually nonexistent, with activity largely limited to Iranian vessels,” said a JP Morgan note released Friday.