Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today joined the third sitting of the maiden session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (JS). Photo: PMOSANGSAD BHABAN, March 29, 2026 (BSS) - Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today joined the third sitting of the maiden session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) here. JS Deputy Speaker and lawmaker from Netrokona-1 constituency Barrister Kayser Kamal presided over the sitting in the absence of Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Bir Bikram. Earlier, the maiden session of the new Jatiya Sangsad began on March 12. On March 15, the session was adjourned till 3:00 pm on March 29 following the second sitting on that day.

DHAKA, March 29, 2026 (BSS) - All educational institutions across the country have been urged to cooperate in organizing the 'Notun Kuri Sports' programme, scheduled to begin in April 2026. The letter states that the Ministry of Youth and Sports has launched the 'Notun Kuri Sports' programme to identify promising young athletes from across the country through grassroots-level competitions. Selected participants will receive training to help them develop into skilled athletes capable of competing at national and international levels. The programme will include competitions in football, cricket, chess, martial arts, badminton, athletics, and kabaddi. It has been distributed to all regional directors, deputy directors, and district education officers under the Directorate.

Bangladesh Bank (BB) is planning to secure another $2 billion in external financing to navigate the economic pressures triggered by the Iran war, Governor Md Mostaqur Rahman has announced. “We are adopting a cautious strategy to maintain the balance of payments (BoP) under these exceptional circumstances,” the governor said. The central bank maintains that the country's foreign exchange reserves remain at a satisfactory level. The central bank is also working to control inflation, which may rise with global oil and dollar prices. The governor said these factories are national assets and banks have been asked to support their reopening through client discussions.

As many recoil from the daily onslaught of war, economic disruption and polarization, I try to remember Haldir’s hopefulness in J.R.R. The cavity it creates takes the place of what was a root flare, probably caused by a long-ago fire. We come back later, leaving a journal and a dog biscuit in the gnome house to see if anyone responds. The scarred tree teaches that imperfection and even wounds can create opportunities for connection, while unspoken agreements can exist among strangers. The big-hearted boy teaches there is hope in both the seen and the unseen.

A Japanese delegation today met State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Md. Photo: MinistryDHAKA, March 29, 2026 (BSS) - A Japanese delegation today met State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Md. Nurul Hoque at his office in Dhaka, expressing keen interest in facilitating higher education and employment opportunities for Bangladeshi students in Japan. He invited the Japanese side to utilize these facilities to provide language and cultural training to Bangladeshi students. Highlighting the longstanding bilateral relations, the State Minister noted that Japan has remained a trusted friend of Bangladesh since the Liberation War, expressing optimism that the initiative would further strengthen the existing ties.

Parliament has descended into heated exchanges over an Opposition notice seeking a session of the Constitutional Reform Council to implement proposals under the July National Charter. The dispute intensified when Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed questioned the notice’s legality on Sunday, sparking protests and uproar from Opposition members. The July Charter outlines 48 constitutional reform proposals. As he spoke, Opposition MPs rose in protest, forcing him to seek “protection” from the chair amid mounting disorder. Law Minister Asaduzzaman termed the proposal “timely and reasonable”, but sought preparation time, noting MPs needed relevant documents before debate.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has vowed to track down and prosecute the human trafficking syndicate responsible for luring Bangladeshi nationals into a Mediterranean crossing that recently claimed 22 lives. Speaking at the ministry on Sunday, Shama emphasised that those who profit from such “criminal and inhumane” acts must face the law. The state minister noted that the smugglers typically lure vulnerable citizens with false promises, taking large sums of money only to abandon them in life-threatening conditions. This incident shows how vulnerable our people are to these smugglers who deserve exemplary punishment," she said. She said the traffickers likely promised a short one-day trip, but the vessel remained at sea for seven days without food or water.

Govt to take strict action against all forms of violence against women: MinisterSocial Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Abu Zafar Md. Zahid Hossain spoke at a meeting at the conference room of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs today. Photo: PIDDHAKA, March 29, 2026 (BSS) - Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Abu Zafar Md. Zahid Hossain today said the government will take strict action against all forms of violence against women, including rape and that no leniency will be shown in this regard. The minister further directed authorities to develop action plans for improving day-care centres, taking into account the needs of working women's children.

The directive was issued through an office order signed by Deputy Secretary Shariful Islam of the ministry's Administration-1 Branch today. According to the order, all officers and employees must stay in their offices from 9:00 am to 9:40 am daily. The directives include ensuring mandatory presence in office rooms during the specified time period and preparing official schedules in a way that does not disrupt this time frame. To reduce electricity consumption, officials have been instructed to maximize the use of natural daylight by keeping doors, windows or blinds open and to limit the use of electrical lighting during daytime. The order also mandates that all electrical devices, including computers, printers, scanners, lights, fans and air conditioners must be turned off after office hours.

Local Government, Rural Development (LGRD) and Co-operatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir spoke at a session in the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) today. Photo: PMOSANGSAD BHABAN, March 29, 2026 (BSS) – Local Government, Rural Development (LGRD) and Co-operatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said in Parliament that the fascist regime had committed massive corruption in the name of development. “It’s unfortunate for us that utter corruption was committed in the name of mega projects or development during the regime of the past fascist government. He said many rural roads were still unpaved and the government has already taken initiatives to upgrade these. “We have undertaken steps to pave the earthen (kachha) roads in phases,” said Fakhrul Islam.

United States Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen today paid a courtesy call on Defence Adviser Brigadier General (Retd) Dr. A K M Shamsul Islam. Photo: ISPRDHAKA, March 29, 2026 (BSS) - United States Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen today paid a courtesy call on Defence Adviser Brigadier General (Retd) Dr. A K M Shamsul Islam. During the meeting held at the office of the Defence Adviser, the two sides held fruitful discussions on bilateral defence cooperation and other issues of mutual priority. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening existing cooperation and enhancing future partnership in areas of shared interest.

PARIS, France, March 29, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Iran's nationwide internet blackout was on its 30th consecutive day Sunday, leaving millions cut off from information and communication since the war with the United States and Israel erupted. "Iran's internet blackout has now entered day 30 as the nationwide censorship measure continues into its fifth week after 696 hours," internet monitoring group NetBlocks said on X on Sunday. While the domestic intranet remains operational -- supporting local messaging apps, banking platforms and other services -- access to the global internet has been severely restricted. Iran has previously imposed internet blackouts during periods of unrest, including for several weeks during nationwide protests in January and during a 12-day war with Israel in June. Following the January unrest, access had partially resumed, though it remained heavily filtered and restricted, before being largely cut off again after the outbreak of the current war on February 28.

I wrote about the list for the first time in 2017, after my parents had died. It signals we’ve internalized the ageism that surrounds us, and lives within us.”But then the interviewer asked me my age. In the book I’d made a big deal about not joining the “organ recital,” which starts out innocently enough – sympathizing with a friend who’s had minor surgery or mentioning your own high blood pressure. About half of adults 60 or older have hearing loss and nearly all people 90 or older do, but only 15 to 30 percent of people who need hearing aids get them. If I were to rewrite my book on aging, I’d have included this advice front and center.

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Dragon 1.jpgMarch 29, 2026 | 2:17am EDTThe 125th Dragon Day parade on March 27, 2026. The dragon approaches the phoenix.