Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Ali Hossain Fakir spoke to journalists after visiting the Gabtoli Bus Terminal today. Photo:BSSDHAKA, Mar 17, 2026 (BSS) - Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Ali Hossain Fakir today said that all units of the police department will be deployed to ensure a smooth, safe and hassle-free journey for people traveling home during Eid. To ensure a smooth Eid journey this year, he said the government has held coordination meetings to prevent passenger harassment, stop overcharging for tickets and reduce traffic congestion on highways. Responding to a query from journalists, the IGP said bus terminals often attract various groups including drug users and snatchers. Therefore, all police units will remain deployed to ensure the safety and smooth movement of passengers during Eid travel.

A painter has been killed while trying to protect his son from an attack allegedly carried out by his rivals in Natore. When Kalam attempted to save Kawser, the attackers hacked at both of them indiscriminately with locally-made sharp weapons and fled the scene. Both father and son were critically injured in the attack. Sadar Police Station chief Shafiqul Islam said the body was sent to the Natore Sadar Hospital morgue for post-mortem. A case is being prepared over the incident and police are conducting raids to arrest the attackers, he added.

Bhairab River facing serious existential threat due to widespread illegal encroachment and pollution. Photo:BSSBAGERHAT, March 17, 2026 (BSS) - The Bhairab River flowing through Kachua upazila of the district is facing a serious existential threat due to widespread illegal encroachment and unchecked pollution, raising concerns among local residents and environmentalists. Alongside encroachment, pollution has worsened the condition of the river. Kachua businessman and BNP leader Sardar Zahid warned that without urgent action, the Bhairab River could disappear entirely, causing severe ecological damage to the region. "River protection is a shared responsibility," he said, expressing hope that coordinated action can restore the Bhairab River and safeguard its ecological and economic importance.

CONAKRY, March 17, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone pledged to resolve a border dispute through dialogue, after Conakry deployed troops to its frontier. The four nations are members of the Mano River Union, an association aimed at facilitating free trade, infrastructure development and bolstering security in the Mano River Basin. On Monday, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone agreed to "resolve border incidents through dialogue and diplomatic mechanisms," according to a statement read on Guinean state broadcaster RTG after the meeting. In late February, border incidents also occurred between Guinea and Sierra Leone, with each side accusing the other's military of crossing the frontier. Sierra Leone also accused Guinean troops of detaining its soldiers and police for several days after clashes.

Three people have been killed in a head-on collision between a bus and an autorickshaw in Tangail’s Dhanbari Upazila. The victims are the autorickshaw driver, Akbar Ali, 55, from Senbari village in Dhanbari; and two passengers, Mohammad Omar Faruk, 50, from Bangalipara in Jamalpur, and Mohammad Khokon Mia, 60, from Kamrabad in Sarishabari. The accident took place around 3:30pm on Tuesday in Nolhara near the Nalya Bus Stand, Dhanbari Police chief Nurus Salam Siddiki said. According to police, the autorickshaw was heading towards Madhupur from Jamalpur with passengers. It collided head-on with a passenger bus coming from the opposite direction, police said.

Swapan for developing master plan for industrialization in southern region using Bhola’s gasInformation and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan spoke as the chief guest at an Iftar and Doa Mahfil organized by the Barishal Divisional Journalists’ Association, held at the DRU this evening. Photo: BSSDHAKA, March 17, 2026 (BSS) - Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan today laid emphasis on the importance of creating an integrated master plan for industrialization in the country’s southern region, centered around the vast natural gas reserves in Bhola. “It is essential for skilled and thoughtful individuals to step forward and consider how this resource can be utilized effectively to boost industrialization across the region,” he said. The minister said it is crucial to think about how the gas discovered in Bhola can be integrated into an industrial and factory-based plan for the southern region and how it can be distributed effectively. Zahirul Haque Rana, president of the Barishal Divisional Journalists’ Association, Dhaka, chaired the programme while general secretary Mynul Hasan Sohel moderated it.

Salahuddin seeks UK support on police reform, Rohingya crisis at Vienna bilateral meetingHome Minister Salahuddin Ahmed -File photoDHAKA, March 17, 2026 (BSS) - Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed held a high-level bilateral meeting with UK Home Office Minister Lord Hanson at the Vienna International Centre on the sidelines of the Global Fraud Summit 2026. The Bangladeshi minister sought technical assistance and training support from the UK, highlighting the globally recognized professionalism of British policing. The Rohingya crisis featured prominently in the talks. Bangladesh urged the UK to sustain international pressure to ensure the safe, voluntary, and sustainable repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. The minister underscored the importance of continued humanitarian and diplomatic support in addressing the crisis and maintaining regional stability.

Photo: BSSKHULNA, March 17, 2026 (BSS) - Members of the Bangladesh Coast Guard have rescued six fishermen who had been held hostage by the notorious “Nana Bhai” pirate gang in the Sundarbans. The rescue operation was conducted in the Kali Khal area adjacent to the Shibsa River, following a tip-off, Coast Guard officials said. According to Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujon, media officer of the Coast Guard, the fishermen were abducted on March 7 while they were fishing and collecting crabs in the Sundarbans. During the operation, six fishermen were rescued from the pirates’ custody. The rescued fishermen are Rafiqul, 30, Alamin, 26, and Ismail Shana, 24, from Koyra upazila of Khulna, and Ramzan Ali, 36, Rezwan, 22, and Mia Raj,18, from Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira are currently under Coast Guard care.

Photo: BSSRAJSHAHI, March 17, 2026 (BSS) - The newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of Rajshahi University (RU), Professor Dr Faridul Islam, assumed office this afternoon. During the joining ceremony, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Mohammad Main Uddin, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Md. Farid Uddin Khan, Acting Registrar Professor Iftikharul Alam Masud, along with deans, department heads, office chiefs, teachers, officials, staff, and students were present. He also expressed his commitment to transforming Rajshahi University into a model center of knowledge in the country. Later, the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor placed a wreath at the grave of martyred Dr. Zoha and offered prayers.

HAVANA, March 17, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck off thecoast of Cuba early Tuesday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. Cuba had just started to restore electricity following a total power blackoutearlier on Monday, as the United States pursues its oil blockade against theisland's communist government. The USGS put the alert level for shaking-related fatalities and economiclosses at green, meaning "low likelihood for casualties and damage". US President Donald Trump vowed on Monday to "take" Cuba, with reports sayinghis administration has signaled to Cuban officials that Washington wantsPresident Miguel Diaz-Canel to be removed from power. A 5.0-magnitude quake was recorded off the coast of Cuba on March 6,according to the USGS.

Prime Minister’s Advisor on Education, Primary and Mass Education, Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment and Labour and Employment ministries Mahdi Amin. Exactly a month ago, BNP formed the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, elected by the people's mandate. The 28 steps of the Prime Minister in 28 days written in Mahdi Amin's Facebook status are:Social Security and Humanitarian Assistance:1. Weekly Office and Office Hours – The Prime Minister has been doing office even on Saturdays, the weekly holiday. That’s why he (the Prime Minister) said, “We will all work together, build the country, Bangladesh first”.

LONDON, March 17, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - British Airways said it has cancelled flights to and from several destinations in the Middle East until June as war in the region disrupts the global aviation industry. The airline has cancelled flights to Amman, Bahrain, Dubai, and Tel Aviv through 31 May, it said in a statement shared with AFP on Tuesday. Flights to Doha have also been suspended until 30 April, with the airline operating a "limited schedule" until 31 May. "Due to the continuing uncertainty of the situation in the Middle East and airspace instability... we've extended the temporary reduction in our flying schedule in the region," the airline said in a statement. Global airlines have been hit by the effects of the war in the Middle East, as fuel prices soar and customers reassess their travel plans.

TOKYO, March 17, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor Shigeaki Mori, who was hugged by former US president Barack Obama during his historic visit to the city a decade ago, has died at 88, local media reported Tuesday. The emotional embrace between Obama and Mori, who was eight years old when the United States dropped the bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, was broadcast worldwide. The Asahi Shimbun and other local media reported that Mori died aged 88 at a hospital in the city on Saturday. "I crawled up out of the water and saw a woman tottering toward me," Mori told AFP before meeting Obama at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in 2016. "The president gestured as if he was going to give me a hug, so we hugged," Mori told reporters afterwards.

File photoDHAKA, March 17, 2026 (BSS) - Metro Rail services in the capital will remain suspended on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr, said a press release of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL). It said metro rail services will resume as per the regular schedule from the day after Eid.

RAB recovers explosives, weapons in Rajshahi ahead of Eid security concerns. Photo : BSSRAJSHAHI, Mar 17, 2026 (BSS) - Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) recovered a large quantity of cocktail-type explosives and local weapons abandoned in the Chandrima Police Station area of the city in the early hours of today. During the drive, the team recovered two abandoned plastic sacks. Upon inspection, the Bomb Disposal Unit recovered 21 cocktail-like explosive objects from the sacks. The recovered explosives and weapons have been handed over to Chandrima Police Station under Rajshahi Metropolitan Police.