A mobile court fined a man Tk 1 lakh for illegally excavating soil in Gazipur’s Kapasia upazila of Gazipur on Saturday. The fined individual is Aminul Islam, 50, a resident of Targao village. According to sources, a team of officials led by Kapasia Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Md Nahidul Haque conducted a drive near Safaishri Ghat in Targao union and fined Aminul for illegally excavating soil. The excavator used for illegal soil removal was also confiscated. Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Md Nahidul Haque confirmed the drive and said that strict legal action will be taken against offenders.

Tarique Rahman said Islamic teachings encourage Zakat to be distributed in such a way that a Zakat recipient should not need to receive Zakat again the following year after receiving it once. Experts say that if Zakat is distributed in a planned and systematic way, it can play a revolutionary role in eliminating poverty, he said. Considering this reality, the government has taken plans to make Zakat management more effective and goal-oriented, said the Prime Minister. Addressing the Islamic scholars, he said, "If you find this concept of Zakat management for poverty alleviation reasonable, you can play the most important role in raising awareness among wealthy people." To achieve poverty alleviation through Zakat management, the existing Zakat Board under the Ministry of Religious Affairs could be restructured, involving leading Ulama, Islamic scholars, government officials, and other stakeholders, he said.

DINAJPUR, March 7, 2026 (BSS) - Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested five alleged drug dealers in separate operations in Dinajpur district on Saturday and recovered 24 kilograms of marijuana and 299 bottles of Eskuf Indian syrup. Roni Mia in Balandur village of Birol upazila around 10:00 am. During the raid, Roni and Tariqul Islam were arrested and 299 bottles of Indian intoxicating syrup were seized from their possession. The arrested individuals were identified as Tariqul Islam, 27, son of Chaber Ali, and Md. Roni, 19, son of Rafiqul Islam, both residents of Balandur village in Birol upazila.

MOSUL, Iraq, March 7, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - An Iraqi fighter was killed Saturday in airstrikes on military bases belonging to the former paramilitary coalition Hashed al-Shaabi in the country's north, authorities said. One fighter was killed and three others wounded, the media cell said, without specifying in which of the strikes. The Hashed al-Shaabi is an alliance of factions now integrated into the regular army. Bases belonging to Hashed have been hit several times since the start of the war in the Middle East, with strikes hitting Tehran-backed armed groups. Pro-Iran factions have brigades that operate within the Hashed al-Shaabi, but have a reputation for acting on their own.

More than five decades after independence, Bangladesh’s women’s rights movement continues to advance -- often unevenly -- through a mix of progress and persistent challenges. While laws exist to protect women, issues such as violence, child marriage, workplace discrimination and limited political participation continue to shape the realities faced by many women. According to Election Commission data, women initially entered parliament through 15 reserved seats in the first parliament (1973–1975). Rights groups say such figures reflect both the persistence of gender-based violence and the barriers women face in accessing protection and justice. Meanwhile, participation of women in Bangladesh’s garment sector -- long seen as a driver of female economic empowerment -- has also shown signs of contraction.

Adequate Fuel Oil Stocks in the Country: Energy Minister Staff Correspondent, Dhaka (Saturday, March 7, 2026)Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku has said that Bangladesh has sufficient stocks of all types of fuel oil, including diesel, petrol and octane. He added that there is no reason for the public to be worried about the fuel situation. On Saturday, the minister held a meeting with Prime Minister Tareq Rahman regarding the country’s fuel supply situation. The minister urged people not to purchase excessive fuel out of rumors or panic, saying that such actions create unnecessary pressure on the supply system. Two more fuel oil tankers are expected to arrive in the country on March 9, and there is no risk of any shortage in the supply system.

Many Petrol Pumps Closed: Customers Face Hardship Staff Correspondent, Dhaka (Saturday, March 7, 2026)Many Petrol Pumps Closed: Customers Face HardshipStaff Reporter, Dhaka (Saturday, March 7, 2026):Several petrol pumps across the capital remained closed since morning, creating fresh difficulties for consumers. To reduce public anxiety, petrol pump owners have demanded that fuel depots remain open on Saturdays. A visit to different petrol pumps in the capital showed that many stations were closed. At Ramna Petrol Pump in front of Matsya Bhaban, a crowd gathered as a motorcyclist argued with the owner. Nazmul Haque, President of the Petrol Pump Owners Association, said customers bought more fuel than usual on Friday.

Labour and Employment and Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury on Saturday warned that those responsible for disrupting law and order in Sylhet will not be spared under any circumstances. Chowdhury said the Prime Minister has declared a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and extortion. On Friday, Khandker Abdul Muktadir, Member of Parliament for Sylhet-1 and Minister for Industries and Commerce, also issued a strong warning against snatchers. A day later, former Sylhet mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury reiterated a tough stance against such criminals. Meanwhile, Abdul Qaiyum Chowdhury, administrator of the Sylhet City Corporation, said the authorities are committed to maintaining peace in the city.

Women are steadily strengthening their presence in Bangladesh’s legal profession, taking on roles as lawyers and judges despite longstanding structural and social barriers. Of the 2,233 judges serving in subordinate courts nationwide, 677 are women, indicating a gradual rise in female representation within the judicial system. “Many women are now joining the legal profession while managing family life. Women on the benchSenior lawyer and human rights activist Fauzia Karim Firoz said women are not only entering the legal profession but also advancing to leadership roles within the judiciary. Persistent challengesDespite these gains, women lawyers continue to face several structural and cultural challenges within the profession.

Some female candidates say social attitudes also influenced the campaign environment. Limited party nominationsPolitical analysts say the low number of elected women reflects the small number of female candidates nominated by parties. The July National Charter 2025 also encouraged parties to nominate at least 5% women candidates in this election, with a long-term goal of reaching 33%. The eighth parliament in 2001 had seven directly elected women, the same number seen again in 2026. Rights advocates say improving representation will require more female nominations, supportive campaign environments and stronger roles for women within political parties.

Many women leaders remain politically visible but institutionally constrained, with limited authority over development planning, budgeting and decision-making. Expansion of representationWomen’s participation in local government expanded significantly after reforms introduced reserved seats in Union Parishads in 1997. Similar arrangements exist in urban local bodies, while Upazila Parishads reserve the vice-chairman position for women. The Local Government Reform Commission Bangladesh previously described the system as one of the most extensive frameworks for women’s local political representation in South Asia. “The challenge is expanding those spaces.”Moving from access to authorityExperts say strengthening women’s political participation requires institutional reforms beyond quotas.

More than 30 hurt in explosion at Peru discoLIMA, March 7, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - An explosion inside a nightclub in northern Peru injured 33 people early Saturday, according to authorities investigating the incident in a region plagued by organized crime. Dozens of people were in the club enjoying a cumbia performance when an explosion shook the facility, according to images on local channel Sol TV Peru. "We have 33 injuries reported so far, including five in serious condition," regional health manager Alberto Florian told the Latina Noticias television broadcast. Peru more broadly is experiencing a serious crime crisis. Last year there were 2,200 homicides related to organized crime, according to police data.

Tehran residents keep up semblance of normality amid destructionTEHRAN, March 7, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - For a moment Tehran resembled a city at peace, with birdsong, joggers and tranquil views of the snow-capped Alborz mountains in the distance. A week ago, opening strikes by the US and Israel killed Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, upended residents' lives and transformed the city streets into a battleground. Chaotic scenes followed of panicked passers-by, parents scrambling to retrieve their children from school, queues at bakeries and endless traffic jams. - 'Ramadan War' -In the first days of the war, Tehran could seem like a ghost town. The blockades made for traffic jams on the avenues, where other traffic was mostly restricted to scooters and delivery riders.

According to port sources, four ships are carrying about 247,000 tonnes of LNG, mainly imported from Ras Laffan Port in Qatar. The safe arrival of the vessels in Bangladesh before the escalation of conflict has brought relief to the country's energy and import supply chain. Among the vessels are LNG tankers "Lusail" and "Al Galael", which are carrying fuel for marine vessels and raw materials required by local industries. Most of the ships have already reached the port, while the remaining vessels are scheduled to arrive in stages. Their timely arrival has helped ease concerns over the country's energy and import supplies amid rising tensions in the Middle East.

Growing military tensions in the Middle East have begun to exert pressure on Bangladesh’s industrial and energy sectors. Any reduction in gas supply for electricity generation or industrial use could disrupt production operations. They say that disruptions in energy supply could slow industrial output and place pressure on export sectors. Officials in the energy sector say rising military tensions involving Iran, the United States, and Israel have created uncertainty in the global energy supply chain. In addition, gas supply to most fertilizer factories has been temporarily suspended, except for the Shahjalal Fertilizer Factory in Sylhet.