Trump says Iran 'will be hit very hard', threatens to expand targetsUS President Donald Trump.Photo: CollectedWASHINGTON, United States, March 7, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - President Donald Trump suggested on Saturday the United States would hit Iran "very hard" and threatened to expand strikes to include new targets. "Today Iran will be hit very hard!" Trump posted on his Truth Social media platform. "Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran's bad behavior, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time."

The Islamic University (IU) administration has formed a five-member committee to investigate the murder of Asma Sadia Runa, the social welfare department chairman who was stabbed to death in her office. Acting Registrar Prof Manjurul Haque confirmed. Other members of the committee include Prof Rashiduzzaman, Student Advisor Prof Obayedul Islam, and Lalon Shah Hall Provost Gazi Arifuzzaman Khan. A university employee, Fazlur Rahman, allegedly stabbed her and then tried to take his own life. The brutal murder was not a random act of violence but the result of a "premeditated plot" fuelled by administrative rivalry and a staff member's personal grievance, the murder case alleged.

DUBAI, March 7, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The United Arab Emirates said it intercepted 15 ballistic missiles and 119 drones on Saturday as Iran kept up its attacks on its Gulf neighbour. "UAE air defence systems detected today, Saturday 7th March 2026, 16 ballistic missiles, of which, 15 were intercepted and destroyed, while one ballistic missile fell into the sea," the ministry of defence said in a post on X. "Air defence systems also detected 121 UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), of which 119 were intercepted, while two fell within the territory of the UAE."

NCRPD fined the prestigious shop 'Rajasthan Punjabi' Taka one lakh for selling locally made Punjabis with misleading tags of 'Bangladesh' and 'Made in India' in Chattogram. Photo: BSSCHATTOGRAM, Mar 07, 2026 (BSS)- National Consumer Rights Protection Department fined the prestigious shop 'Rajasthan Punjabi' Taka one lakh for selling locally made Punjabis with misleading tags of 'Bangladesh' and 'Made in India' in Chattogram. The shop was found selling locally made products as if they were imported from India without proper documentation. During a recent raid, discrepancies were found in the price of 'Rajasthan Punjabi'. They were fined Taka one lakh for these irregularities.

Sri Lanka will treat Iranian sailors rescued from a torpedoed frigate according to international law, a minister said Saturday, following reports Washington was pressuring Colombo to not repatriate them. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told a conference in New Delhi that Sri Lanka was caring for 32 sailors from the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena under Colombo’s international treaty obligations. Sri Lanka sent its navy to rescue survivors and recover 84 bodies. Sri Lanka also provided safe haven to a second Iranian warship, the IRIS Bushehr, and evacuated its 219 crew a day after the Dena was torpedoed. International humanitarian law applied to the survivors from the Dena, an official said, and the wounded could be repatriated at their request.

NAIROBI, March 7, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - At least 23 people were killed in flashflooding overnight in Nairobi, police said Saturday, amid search and rescueoperations and widespread devastation. Torrential rains lashed the Kenyan capital late Friday, turning major streetsinto rivers and flooding thousands of homes and businesses. "We are seeing devastation... A huge number of areas in the city wereaffected, but also counties all over the country," Kenyan Red Cross spokesmanMunir Ahmed told AFP. The Kenyan Red Cross said hundreds of households in neighbouring counties hadalso been affected, and vast swathes of farmland destroyed. "I would call for joint efforts between the government humanitarian agnciesto deal with this problem, and to understand why we are having this havoc,"said Ahmed of the Red Cross.

International Women's Day will be observed on Sunday across the country, as elsewhere in the world, with the theme "Digit ALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality". The United Nations has been observing the day as International Women’s Day since 1975. On February 28, 1909, the first international women’s conference was organized at a women’s rally arranged by the Social Democratic women’s organization in New York under the leadership of German socialist leader Clara Zetkin. Clara, a German politician and one of the architects of the German Communist Party, later proposed at the second International Women’s Conference held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1910 that March 8 be observed annually as International Women’s Day. United Nations formally recognized March 8 as International Women’s Day in 1975 and called upon countries to observe it.

The stepfather of a teenage girl, whose body was found in a mustard field in Narsingdi’s Madhabdi, has confessed in court to murdering her to cover up a previous gang-rape, according to police. However, on the night of Feb 10, four individuals, Hazrat Ali, Ebadul, Zaman, and Ghaffar, gang-raped her at Hazrat’s house," Faruk told reporters. The police officer added that Ashraf later orchestrated a plan to kill his stepdaughter to avoid further social humiliation. "On the night of Feb 25, Ashraf was purportedly taking the girl to the house of a colleague named Suman. Ashraf told investigators he was "frustrated by the girl's activities" and felt socially belittled, which drove him to the killing.

Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood -File photoDHAKA, March 7, 2026 (BSS) – Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood today said that there is no fuel shortage in the country and urged citizens not to panic-buy petroleum products, as the government maintains adequate fuel reserves, ensuring an uninterrupted supply. He had just emerged from a meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, where they discussed the global energy situation, particularly the growing concerns surrounding fuel supplies due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. About the current rationing system at fuel stations, Iqbal Hassan explained that the measure was introduced to manage uncertainty over the duration of the conflict. However, he said that the rationing has caused some citizens to stockpile fuel which has led to unnecessary panic. State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit, Energy and Mineral Resources Division Secretary Mohammad Saiful Islam and Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman were present during the briefing.

Bangladesh has no shortage of fuel, and two more fuel-carrying ships are scheduled to arrive at the country’s ports on Monday, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku said on Saturday. “There is no chance of a fuel shortage, but since a war is ongoing, we have to plan and manage carefully and maintain austerity,” he said. The minister made the remarks while talking to reporters after an hour-long meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the prime minister’s Office (PMO) in Tejgaon. The minister said a decision was taken during the meeting that fuel prices will not be increased for the time being. State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit, Secretary Mohammad Saiful Islam and Additional Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Atikur Rahman Rumon, among others, were present during the briefing.

Dubai airport, the world’s busiest for international traffic, suspended operations Saturday before partially resuming services, after an air defense interception in the area during attacks from Iran. “We have partially resumed operations from today, 7 March, with some flights operating out of DXB and DWC,” it said, referring to Dubai’s main airport as well as the city’s Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International. “For the safety of passengers, airport staff, and airline crew, operations at Dubai International (DXB) have been temporarily suspended,” the government’s Dubai Media Office said in a social media post. Flights from Dubai’s main airport had partially resumed on Monday despite daily drone attacks targeting sites in the United Arab Emirates. Operator Dubai Airports said at the time that the incident had been “quickly brought under control,” without providing details.

Iran’s army said Saturday its navy had launched a wave of drone attacks targeting Israel as well as US bases in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, as the regional war raged into its second week. “The Iranian Navy targeted American bases and occupied territories with a massive wave of drone attacks,” the army said in a statement carried by the official Irna news agency. It said the targets included the UAE’s Al-Minhad base and another in Kuwait, as well as a “strategic facility” in Israel. War across the Middle East erupted after the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on February 28, killing the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has since responded with drone and missile attacks against Israel as well as US interests in the region.

The government will provide support to expatriates amid visa expirations and flight cancellations, Expatriate Welfare Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury said on Saturday. The government has launched a hotline so that expatriates facing such issues can contact the ministry, and assistance will be provided according to the government’s capacity, he added. The minister made the remarks while speaking at a Holi festival program organized by the For Manipuri Culture and Arts at Mirjagang, Sylhet city. “The government is committed to resolving the various problems faced by expatriates. He also assured that the government would take effective steps to address the issues faced by Manipuri people.

Negligence in healthcare will not be tolerated: Health MinisterHealth Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain Bokul spoke with patients during a surprise visit to the Palash Upazila Health Complex in Narsingdi on saturday. Photo: BSSNARSINGDI, March 7, 2026 (BSS) - Health Minister Sardar Md. The minister made the remark during a surprise visit to the Palash Upazila Health Complex in Narsingdi this morning. Speaking with patients waiting in line, the health minister listened to their concerns and reiterated that any negligence in providing healthcare services to people at the grassroots level would not be tolerated.

KYIV, Ukraine, March 7, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Russia fired a volley of missiles and drones across Ukraine overnight on Friday to Saturday, killing nine and wounding more than a dozen, including children, and destroying an apartment block in Kharkiv. "Since last night, the rubble of a residential building in Kharkiv is being cleared following a Russian ballistic missile strike," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media. -In the Sumy region bordering Russia, a 24-year-old man died in his car when it was hit by a Russian drone, according to local officials. In Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine, a Russian drone strike wounded a baby, according to the head of the regional administration, Ivan Fedorov. In Chuguiv, in the Kharkiv region, Mayor Galyna Minayeva said two people were wounded in a drone attack on a house in the city centre.