A two-day training workshop organised by the BNP for its Members of Parliament (MPs) ahead of the first session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad began on Friday. Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon said Tarique Rahman joined the training workshop with BNP lawmakers. The first session of the 13th parliament will begin at 11am on March 12 after President Mohammed Shahabuddin convened the session on February 23. BNP organized the workshop to prepare its MPs for the upcoming parliamentary session. On the first day, ministers, state ministers and advisers joined the morning session, while MPs from parts of Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dhaka and Faridpur divisions attended the afternoon session.

Diplomatic sources have indicated that the United States expects Bangladesh to implement the trade agreement swiftly and effectively. Additionally, Washington anticipates arrangements for the repatriation of Bangladeshi nationals deemed illegal in the U.S., once their cases are resolved in American courts. Two days before the February 12 election, the interim government of Bangladesh signed a trade agreement with the United States. According to sources of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United States has emphasized the repatriation of Bangladeshi nationals residing in the country illegally. Under former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, the United States has adopted a stricter stance on illegal immigration.

Bangladesh goalkeeper Mile Akter said the team gained lessons despite suffering a 5-0 defeat to tournament favourites and three-time champions DPR Korea in their second AFC Women’s Asian Cup fixture in Sydney on Friday. “Today (Friday) we played against a hard team,” Mile said after the match. The young goalkeeper impressed with a standout performance in the 2-0 defeat against China and retained her place between the posts for the clash against DPR Korea. Despite the tough results, the Bangladesh camp views the tournament as a valuable learning opportunity as they gain experience at the continent’s highest level. Bangladesh will wrap up their Group B campaign against Uzbekistan in Perth on Monday.

The best performers from the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 have made the Player of the Tournament shortlist. Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand)8 matches, 11 wickets, 128 runsA big-hitting batter, Rachin Ravindra has proved valuable to his side with the ball as well at this T20 World Cup. The opening batter scored 383 runs in six innings to record the most runs scored in a single edition of a Men's T20 World Cup. Farhan also became the first player to score two centuries at an single edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup as he scored a hundred against Sri Lanka and Namibia. Van Schalkwyk began T20 World Cup 2026 with a four-wicket haul against India on February 7.

Ten people, including women and children, were burned in a gas leak explosion at a house in the Kamarpara area of Turag in the capital. Enayet’s nephew Sazed Matabbar said Rubel and Sonia live in the second-floor flat where the explosion occurred. Sazed said early in the morning, an explosion occurred in the second-floor flat. When someone tried to light a fire in the morning, the explosion occurred. Residential surgeon Shawon Bin Rahman said Sonia suffered 100% burns, Rubel 32%, Roza 18%, Habib 19%, Riya 32%, Enayet 45%, Delera 14%, Junayed 24%, Ayesha 12%, and Abul Kalam Rubel 7%.

Too often, it is those most vulnerable, most marginalized, who are forgotten when pledges are made. Nowhere is this more salient than with the pledges made to the disability community by all parties, including the BNP, before the elections. Commitments were voiced about accessibility, inclusion, and ensuring that persons with disabilities would no longer be left behind in Bangladesh’s development journey. It is imperative, therefore, that this community is not forgotten once again and the cycle of neglect, where they are only remembered before votes are cast, must end. Above all else, the government must start listening to the disability community itself, whose voices must guide the policies that affect their lives.

With the events in the Middle East after the Israel-US strikes on Iran, the fallout from the conflict was expected, and is reverberating across global energy markets. Bangladesh, heavily dependent on the region for the majority of its energy needs, now faces the prospect of shortages and rationing. That we are staring at this looming crisis underscores a deeper vulnerability: Bangladesh’s overreliance on imported fossil fuels. As long as our energy mix remains narrow and dependent on volatile global markets, any and all geopolitical shocks will result in instability when it comes to our domestic energy needs. Renewable energy, regional power trade, and investment in domestic gas exploration must be prioritized with urgency.

These digital production tools are now owned by a few international IT corporations and some multinational companies. A "new proletariat" is presently emerging as a result of the development of digital technology. Rather, they push compensation to a bottom-level price floor, reduce guaranteed hours, increase instability, restrict the scopes of work that employees can perform, and keep overall economic output high. Neo-imperialism and digital colonialismWhen domestic markets get filled up, capital seeks “colonies” to dump excess products and get low-priced materials. When a country’s digital systems are controlled by foreign companies, that country loses its capacity to freely implement policies of its choosing.

The government is set to purchase two LNG cargoes from the spot market at nearly double the usual price to avert a potential energy crisis triggered by the Iran war and supply disruptions. The approval for the urgent LNG purchase was given at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase last Wednesday. Earlier, Petrobangla Chairman Erfanul Haque said four LNG cargoes scheduled for March have already crossed the Strait of Hormuz, but two additional vessels expected on March 15 and 18 remain stuck. Petrobangla invited bids twice on Tuesday and Wednesday to purchase LNG from the spot market, but no bidders participated. The state agency later finalised the purchase of the two cargoes through direct negotiations in the spot market.

Bangladesh endured a tough evening but showed resilience and composure before eventually falling 5-0 to DPR Korea in their second Group B match of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 on Friday at Western Sydney Stadium. Bangladesh goalkeeper Mile Akter made several important saves while the backline absorbed constant pressure from the DPR Korea attack. Just two minutes later, Kim Kyong-Yong doubled the lead with a precise finish from the right side of the area to send DPR Korea into halftime with a 2-0 advantage. Despite the scoreline, Bangladesh continued to battle and showed flashes of attacking intent, while Mile Akter remained busy with a number of saves. While the result was heavy, Bangladesh can take encouragement from their composed first-half performance against one of Asia’s strongest sides.

LONDON, March 6, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Oil prices pushed higher while stocks dropped on Thursday as investors tracked developments on the sixth day of the Middle East war. Tehran also effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas travel, sending prices soaring. Iran said it had hit an oil tanker in the Gulf with a missile on Thursday, setting the vessel on fire. "In theory, such assurances should provide stability to markets that are sensitive to disruptions in oil supply," said Forex.com analyst Fawad Razaqzada. Energy intelligence firm Kpler said Wednesday oil tanker transits through the Strait had dropped by 90 percent from last week.

SAO PAULO, March 6, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Petrobras, Brazil's majority state-owned oil company, said Thursday that its profits nearly tripled last year thanks to record oil and gas output. The profit jump came even as sales slipped 2.4 percent to $89.2 billion, as total production was up 11 percent, the highest ever for the group. He attributed the growth to the company's focus on "quality projects that increase production, with high returns and quick cash generation." Brazil granted a license for the project last year despite opposition from environmental activists, and Petrobras had to suspend drilling in January after drilling fluid leaks. Left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has backed the exploration operation despite criticism from activists, arguing that oil revenues are needed to finance Brazil's energy transition.

HONG KONG, March 6, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai will not appeal his national security conviction that saw him sentenced to 20 years behind bars last month, his legal team said Friday, without providing a reason. His sentence is the harshest penalty doled out so far under a national security law imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong following widespread pro-democracy protests. Lai's legal team told AFP they would not provide an explanation for the decision to not appeal. In February, Lai's son Sebastien said the "draconian prison sentence is devastating for our family and life-threatening for my father". Meanwhile, Hong Kong's leader John Lee lauded the "severe" term as a demonstration of the city's rule of law.

INDIAN WELLS, United States, March 6, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams was sent crashing out at Indian Wells on Thursday, falling in three sets to French qualifier Diane Parry. "I think today is not the kind of day that you want to assess," she said. Dimitrov, a 2021 Indian Wells semi-finalist, now gets a shot at Alcaraz, who is undefeated in 12 matches in 2026 and beat Dimitrov in the fourth round here last year. Second-seeded Jannik Sinner of Italy launches his campaign for a first Indian Wells title on Friday, headlining the night session against Czech qualifier Dalibor Svrcina. Like Sinner, Sabalenka is chasing a first Indian Wells title.

Paralympics brace for tense opening as Russia comes in from the coldCORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, March 6, 2026 (AFP) - The Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics start on Friday with an opening ceremony clouded by a boycott by several countries in protest at Russian athletes competing under their national flag for the first time since 2014. And athletes from countries including Canada, Britain, Germany and France will skip the opening ceremony to "prioritise athletic performance", IPC communications officer Craig Spence said. "I do think that it needs a lot of discussion because this is the third time in four Paralympic Winter Games that there is a conflict initiated in between the Olympics and Paralympics." Double Summer Paralympic gold medallist Lauren Parker will make her Winter Games debut when she represents Australia in the biathlon and cross-country events. El Salvador's cross-country skier David Chavez will make history in Val di Fiemme when he becomes the first person from the Central American country to take part in a Winter Games -- either Olympics or Paralympics.