U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Kapur today met with Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman at the foreign ministry. The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Kapur met the foreign minister at the foreign ministry during his two-day visit to Dhaka. The US assistant secretary underscored the importance of implementing the provisions of the Reciprocal Trade Agreement to promote greater bilateral trade and investment. The foreign minister reiterated the government’s commitment to policy continuity, particularly in the economic sector. Prior to the meeting with the foreign minister, Kapur held a brief discussion with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam.

Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon today exchanged views with UGC officials and employees at the UGC Bhaban, Dhaka. The Education Minister made the remarks at an exchange of views meeting with UGC officials and employees at the UGC Bhaban, said a press release. Describing the UGC as the focal point of the country’s higher education, he said the success and failure of higher education depend on the UGC. Referring to Pakistan’s progress in higher education, he said although Pakistan lags behind Bangladesh in various development indicators, it has achieved commendable progress in higher education. UGC Members Professor Dr. Mohammad Anwar Hossain, Professor Dr. Md.

Children must not be 'collateral damage' in Mideast war: UN expertsGENEVA, March 4, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child insisted Wednesday that children must be protected during the war in the Middle East, highlighting an alleged air strike on an Iranian school. Neither the United States nor Israel have confirmed the attack, and AFP has been unable to independently verify the toll or visit the site. "This is a reminder that children are among the most vulnerable in armed conflicts, and must never be treated as collateral damage." Every United Nations member state is a party, except the United States. It urged the warring parties to take all necessary measures to protect children, including ensuring that schools and hospitals are not attacked and that humanitarians can safely reach children in need.

DUBAI, March 4, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The United Arab Emirates and Qatar separately said Wednesday they had intercepted drone and missile barrages as Iran pressed its campaign targeting its neighbours into a fifth day. The UAE's ministry of defence said its air defences "successfully engaged today (March 4, 2025) with 3 ballistic missiles and detected 129 drones, of which 121 drones were intercepted while 8 fell on state territory". Qatar's military said it was targeted "at dawn today, by 10 drones and 2 cruise missiles coming from the Islamic Republic of Iran," with all of the projectiles intercepted by its forces.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock and Food Minister Mohammad Amin-ur Rashid on Wednesday announced that the government has decided to launch the much-anticipated Farmer Card initiative ahead of Pohela Boishakh. The Minister made the remarks while speaking to reporters after a committee meeting on the Farmer Card program with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in the chair at the Secretariat. According to Amin-ur Rashid, the Farmer Card will prioritise marginal and extremely small-scale farmers. The card will ensure various benefits for farmers, with special provisions at the outset for marginal farmers. However, no final decision has been made on whether extremely poor and marginal farmers will receive those benefits.

Students of the Women and Gender Studies department at Dhaka University on Wednesday staged a protest rally against a growing wave of rape, murder, and other forms of violence against women and children across the country. Second-year student Jahin Abdullah expressed deep concern over what he said was a rising trend of violence. “Violence against women and rape are increasing by the day. Political influence almost always creeps into rape cases — one party commits thecrime; another tries to cover it up. “Boys need to be taught from a young age what constitutes violence and what doesn’t,” he added.

But at the same time, the wage growth rate remained stable at 8.12% in January. Although some liquidity indicators in the banking sector have improved, the default loan situation is worrying. The default loan rate has increased significantly after the introduction of a loan classification system based on international standards. Azad said that currently the average defaulted loan rate in the country has reached 36% and it is about 50% in government banks. He said that the government’s bank loan acceptance rate is currently 32.19%, while the private sector’s loan growth is only 6.1%.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today directed the Health and Family Welfare Ministry to launch 'e-Health Card'. Photo: PIDDHAKA, Mar 4, 2026 (BSS) - Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today directed the Health and Family Welfare Ministry to launch 'e-Health Card' to ensure healthcare services for the country's people. "The Prime Minister instructed the health minister to begin work on introducing the e-Health Card. The government's policy is to ensure that healthcare services reach the doorsteps of the people. The Prime Minister urged the minister to ensure that doctors provide services at health centers in remote areas, Ruman added.

Bank Asia PLC observed “Financial Literacy Day–2026” on March 2 by organizing a series of initiatives in line with the directives of Bangladesh Bank. As part of the day-long observance, the bank organized special financial literacy programs for remittance customers in the districts of Chittagong, Feni, Comilla, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, and Tangail under a UNCDF-funded project. The bank also disseminated dedicated financial literacy content through its social media platforms and screened audio-visual materials at various locations to promote responsible financial practices. Over the years, Bank Asia has conducted extensive financial literacy programs across the country, targeting underserved communities and professions that previously remained outside the formal banking network. To date, the bank has directly provided financial literacy training to 188,500 customers and indirectly reached approximately 1.5 million individuals, fostering greater awareness about banking operations, products and services.

Photo: BSSDHAKA, March 4, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) today inaugurated a two-day referee assessors workshop at the BFF Bhaban aimed at enhancing the standard of domestic refereeing and strengthening the evaluation system. Referee assessors from across the country are participating in the workshop. Tayyab Hasan Shamsuzzaman and Sujit Kumar Banerjee, who are providing training on modern methods of referee evaluation and performance analysis. Wahid Uddin Chowdhury Happy formally inaugurated the workshop as the chief guest. He added that discussions are underway with the government to enhance the quality of refereeing and ensure necessary benefits referring.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, March 4, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Saudi Arabia intercepted a drone attack in targeting its massive Ras Tanura refinery, the defence ministry said Wednesday, following an earlier hit on the complex along its Gulf coast this week. "Initial estimates indicate that the attack was carried out by a drone and did not result in any damage," the ministry said in a statement posted on X. On Monday, some operations at the Ras Tanura refinery were halted following an attack that caused a fire at the complex. The Ras Tanura facility along the kingdom's eastern Gulf coast is home to one of the largest refineries in the entire Middle East and a cornerstone of the kingdom's energy sector. Gulf states have accused Tehran of targeting energy installations across the region amid waves of Iranian barrages fired at its neighbours since the US and Israel launched a massive air campaign against Iran.

Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Huq Chowdhury today exchanged views with the official and employees of different agencies under the labour and employment ministry at Shrama Bhaban at Bijoy Nagar Area. Photo : PIDDHAKA, March 4,2026 (BSS) – Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Huq Chowdhury today warned that no negligence will be accepted in the public service. “To ensure public services, every body should perform their duty with due consciousness and integrity”, he said. The minister urged the concerned officials to provide workers harassment free services after ensuring personal responsibility in every stage during this time. The minister also gave directives for preparing a full-fledged roaster quickly of the beneficiaries of 32 labour welfare centres for development of the services.

Road, Rail and Water Transport Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam has directed authorities to ensure congestion - free roads to facilitate safe and uninterrupted travel for passengers during Eid -ul-Fitr 2026. He issued the directive at a preparatory meeting held at the Bridge Division conference room on Tuesday, ahead of the upcoming Eid . The meeting was chaired by Bridge Division Secretary and Executive Director of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority Mohammad Abdur Rouf. Officials from the Bridge Division, the Bangladesh Bridge Authority and project directors of its ongoing projects were also present. At the meeting, the minister said the prime minister has instructed all concerned authorities to ensure that Eid travel remains safe, smooth and comfortable for people across the country.

Israel’s military announced a new wave of strikes on government infrastructure in Tehran Wednesday, following reports of a heavy explosion in the eastern part of the city. Meanwhile, France has deployed Rafale fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates to intercept Iranian drones targeting French forces stationed there, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said, reports Al Jazeera. The jets, based at Dhafra Air Base near Abu Dhabi, were tasked with protecting hundreds of French navy, air force, and army personnel from Iranian attacks. President Emmanuel Macron also announced that France is sending its flagship aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean in response to the widening conflict in the Middle East. Barrot emphasized that the deployments aim to safeguard French personnel and facilities in the UAE while maintaining regional stability amid escalating hostilities following Israeli and US strikes on Iranian targets.

The government has reassigned the portfolios of eight state ministers, reducing the number of ministries under their charge. The responsibilities of two advisers to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman have also been expanded. Advisers’ roles expandedIn a separate notification, the government expanded the responsibilities of two of the 10 advisers to the prime minister. On February 17, the 10 advisers were appointed with the rank of minister and state minister in the new government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Earlier, the prime minister was sworn in along with 25 full ministers and 24 state ministers.