BAGERHAT, March 12, 2026 (BSS) - Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard arrested an active member of the notorious Karim Sharif Bahini along with arms and ammunition during a special operation in the Sundarbans this morning. Coast Guard Media Officer Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujan confirmed the matter this afternoon. During the operation, the team arrested Osman Gani, 38, an active member of the gang. Coast Guard later carried out a search in the surrounding area and recovered one single-barrel gun, 16 rounds of live cartridges and five rounds of blank cartridges. The arrested individual, Osman Gani, is a resident of Ashashuni Police Station area in Satkhira district.

Photo : BSSJAMALPUR, March 12, 2026 (BSS): A meeting here today of the District Road Safety Committee was held at the conference room of the Deputy Commissioner's office to ensure safe and smooth travel for people before and after the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr. During the meeting, participants discussed strict monitoring of transport fares to ensure that passengers are not forced to pay extra during the Eid travel rush. They emphasized the need for coordinated measures to ensure smooth movement of vehicles, maintain road discipline and prevent traffic congestion on major routes. The meeting also stressed strengthening surveillance on highways and transport terminals to make the Eid journey safe and comfortable for passengers. Representatives from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), Traffic Police, Bangladesh Railway, various transport organizations, journalists and officials from different government departments attended the meeting.

Hosted by Cornell Bhangra, this year’s annual celebration of Punjabi culture featured groups from across the nation: MIT Bhangra, Princeton Bhangra, Buffalo Bhangra, Binghamton Bhangra and Apna Virsa Academy — each with a unique performance, but the same glowing smiles. The program also included guest appearances by hip-hop dance group BASE Productions and South Asian a capella group Tarana. Cornell Bhangra has performed not only around Cornell but also on stages as large as America’s Got Talent and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Not to mention, watching a PAO Bhangra performance holds a spot as #57 on The Cornell Daily Sun’s very own “161 Things Every Cornellian Should Do” list. PAO Bhangra brings together Cornell University students, faculty, staff and members of the broader Ithaca community for a thrilling night of dance and music.

Nicole Kidman has locked lips with a fair number of actors during her career — and recently, she named the worst onscreen kisser. “When Alexander Skarsgård ate a falafel sandwich before we did the scenes in Big Little Lies, I’m like, ‘No, no, no, Alex. '”In Big Little Lies, Kidman played Celeste Wright, while Skarsgård played her husband, Perry Wright. The first two seasons of Big Little Lies are available to stream, with a third season confirmed and in development. Big Little Lies, streaming on HBO MaxMore Headlines:

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Law enforcement officers flooded the area soon after the incident, amid heightened tension nationwide over the US-Israeli war against Iran. CNN, citing a law enforcement source, said the suspect in the attack on the synagogue was dead. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer condemned the attack on the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, a northwest suburb of Detroit. The sheriff said law enforcement had been on high alert since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran nearly two weeks ago. Television images showed a massive law enforcement response in the area around the synagogue.

PARIS, France, March 12, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday issued his first message since his elevation to the post, threatening revenge for his father's killing, though he did not deliver the declaration in person. Mojtaba Khamenei was himself wounded, according to statements by some Iranian officials and state television, but there remains uncertainty over his whereabouts and physical condition. Here are five takeaways from his first statement as supreme leader. - Uncertainty over condition -"The first message of the supreme leader of the Islamic revolution, his excellency Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hossein Khamenei!" Instead, the statement was read against the backdrop of an archive photo of Khamanei and a computer-generated flag of the Islamic republic.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. File photoDHAKA, March 13, 2026 (BSS) - Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is set to inaugurate the programme for providing monthly honorarium to religious leaders of different religions on March 14. The inauguration ceremony will be held at 10:00 am at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital, according to an official release of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Under the programme, monthly honorariums will be provided to imams, muezzins and khadems of mosques, priests and sebaits of temples, principals and vice-principals of Buddhist monasteries, and priests and assistant priests of churches. The prime minister will formally launch the initiative at the ceremony.

War in the Middle East: casualty figures from across the regionDUBAI, March 12, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Since the United States and Israel unleashed strikes on Iran on February 28, war has spread across the region and casualties have been reported in countries around the Middle East. The figures are based on numbers released by governments, militaries, health authorities and rescue organisations in the affected countries. Due to reporting restrictions, AFP is not able to access the sites of strikes or independently verify tolls in Iran. The rest of those killed were military or security personnel, including seven US service members. CENTCOM has confirmed six US service personnel killed in Kuwait and one killed in Saudi Arabia.

JERUSALEM, March 12, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Israel's military said Thursday it had struck checkpoints set up in Tehran by the Basij paramilitary force of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, as part of efforts to undermine control by the authorities. "Over the past day, the Israeli Air Force, acting on (military) intelligence, has targeted the Basij roadblocks and operatives," the army said in a statement. They were put down with a crackdown which according to rights groups left thousands of people dead and tens of thousands arrested. Tehran residents have told AFP that Revolutionary Guard forces have set up checkpoints across the capital in a bid to assert control in the face of US-Israeli strikes. "The only way they can show that they're there and that the situation is under control is to put checkpoints around the place."

GENEVA, March 12, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - UN rights chief Volker Turk said Thursday he was "appalled" at reports that more than 200 civilians had been killed by drone attacks in Sudan since March 4. In their battle for territory, both sides in the Sudan conflict have relied on advanced drone warfare, drawing frequent condemnation from the United Nations and suggesting healthy supply routes from their foreign backers. A truck carrying civilians was struck allegedly by an SAF drone in Al-Sunut on March 10 reportedly killing at least 50 civilians, he said. He said it had come under heavy attack by RSF drone strikes since March 4. Another drone hit an electrical transformer at the Um Dabakir station on March 10, causing widespread power outages, the UN rights chief said.

Photo: BSSKHULNA, March 12, 2026 (BSS) - Khulna University (KU) will observe a mourningday tomorrow (March 13) marking the anniversary of the tragic Katka incidentin the Sundarbans in 2004, when 11 university students drowned during aneducational tour. The two students from BUET who also lost their lives in the incident wereSamiul and Shakil. Since the tragedy, Khulna University has been observing March 13 every yearas a mourning day to remember the students who lost their lives in the Katkatragedy. Marking the day this year with due respect and solemnity, the universityauthorities have taken several programmes. In addition, an iftar and dinner will be arranged in the evening with orphansas part of the commemorative observances.

PM reaches House to join its first sessionPrime Minister Tarique Rahman has reached Sangshad Bhaban to attend the first session of the 13th parliament. Photo : PMODHAKA, March 12, 2026 (BSS) – Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has reached Sangshad Bhaban to attend the first session of the 13th parliament. “The 13th session of the National Parliament is set to begin at 11:00 am today. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has arrived at Sangshad Bhaban to attend the first session,” PM’s Press Secretary Saleh Shibly told BSS. According to the Constitution, the President must convene the first session of the new parliament within 30 days of publication of the gazette of the parliamentary election results.

FSCD and CAAB signed a MoU on SAR and RFF to further strengthen aviation safety and emergency response at airports across Bangladesh. Photo: CollectedDHAKA, March 12, 2026 (BSS) - The Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Search and Rescue (SAR) and Rescue and Fire Fighting (RFF) to further strengthen aviation safety and emergency response at airports across Bangladesh. The agreement was signed at a ceremony held at the CAAB Chairman’s Conference Room on Level-6 of the CAAB Headquarters in Kurmitola, Dhaka today. Under the agreement, both organizations will work together to strengthen aviation safety through rapid response mechanisms, coordinated training, information exchange and technical assistance during emergency situations, the release said. The collaboration is expected to enhance the country’s capacity to handle potential accidents, conduct rescue operations and carry out firefighting activities in airport areas, it added.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. File photoDHAKA, March 12, 2026 (BSS) - Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate a nationwide programme on March 16 to excavate and re-excavate rivers, canals and water bodies aimed at improving irrigation, boosting agricultural production and strengthening water management across the country. The prime minister will formally launch the programme by initiating canal excavation work at Kaharole upazila in Dinajpur district, said an official release. On the same day, ministers, advisers, the chief whip of the Jatiya Sangsad, state ministers, whips and members of parliament will inaugurate the programme simultaneously in the remaining 53 districts. The initiative is expected to play an important role in improving irrigation facilities, boosting agricultural production and creating employment opportunities for rural people.