Since its official recognition by the United Nations in 1975, International Women’s Day has grown in visibility and voice. In 2025, women globally enjoy only a fraction of the legal rights afforded to men. In its 2025 review of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nations acknowledged that gender equality remains elusive. The Women’s Affairs Reform Commission had proposed criminalizing marital rape, ensuring equal parental rights, introducing a unified family law framework, and protecting women’s inheritance rights. The demand is clear and urgent: rights, not rhetoric; justice, not justification; action, not delay.

In the past week or so, I kept returning to “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution,” as I scrolled through Bangladeshi Facebook timelines, watching debates multiply in real time around Zaima Rahman, daughter of Bangladesh’s newly elected prime minister, Tariq Rahman. Over the past few weeks, I have watched two parallel debates emerge around dance, female visibility, legitimacy, and power. One side of this debate centres on Zaima Rahman. Reading Goldman today, I see echoes of that tension in the debates around Zaima Rahman and Arthy Ahmed. “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution.” In Bangladesh today, this line reads not as nostalgia but as a challenge.

As Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of Muslims, is drawing closer, vermicelli factories in various upazilas of Jamalpur have become very busy. However, some factories are producing low-quality vermicelli in an unhygienic environment, posing a serious threat to public health. It has been learnt that such low-quality vermicelli is being produced in almost all upazilas across Jamalpur. Sanitary Inspector Rabeya Begum acknowledged the issue, stating that vermicelli is being produced in unsanitary conditions using low-quality oil. Without strict action, they said, joy of Eid could be overshadowed by the health risks posed by adulterated food products.

The intricate design of black basalt stone has been etched in my mind since childhood, thanks to the Taka 5 banknote. True to its moniker—the "Black Gem of Bengal"—Kusumba’s dark basalt stones stood as a cool, ancient anchor against the shimmering heat of the Barind Tract. The central Mihrab, encased in black stone, features highly crafted hanging chains and leaf designs. What makes Kusumba truly unique among Sultanate-era mosques is its reliance on meticulous relief work over traditional terracotta. Its beauty lies in the high-precision carving of water pots, serpentine vines, and intricate rosettes into flat stone surfaces.

The National Jute Day- 2026 was observed in Rangpur city with the theme 'Develop the jute industry, create employment' and various programmes today. Photo: BSSRANGPUR, March 6, 2026 (BSS) - The National Jute Day- 2026 was observed in Rangpur city with the theme 'Develop the jute industry, create employment' and various programmes today. Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Enamul Ahsan attended the post-rally discussion held at his conference room as the chief guest. "The future of this industry and the livelihood of jute farmers largely depend on the demand for jute in the market," he said. Government officials, jute farmers, jute traders and journalists were present at the programmes.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan on Friday said ensuring a respectable wage board for journalists is essential to elevate the media industry to a dignified level and retain talented professionals in the profession. Swapan said the media industry cannot operate under any law that allows owners to avoid paying journalists’ salaries. The minister said implementing the wage board and ensuring accountability in the overall process of newspaper registration are matters of national interest. DRU President Abu Saleh Akon chaired the event, while its General Secretary Mynul Hasan Sohel conducted the event. Prime Minister's Press Secretary Saleh Shibli, former general secretary of Jatiya Press Club Elias Khan, Managing Director of the Journalists Welfare Trust Muhammad Abdullah, Jatiya Press Club General Secretary Ayub Bhuiyan, Dhaka Union of Journalists General Secretary Khurshid Alam, and former and current leaders of DRU were present.

A mourning meeting and remembrance gathering were held in Dhaka on Friday to mark the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The event was organized by the Bangladesh representative office of the Office of the Leader of Iran, the Bangladesh representative office of Al-Mustafa International University and the Bangladesh Imamia Ulama Society. Special guests included Hojjatul Islam Wal Muslimeen Shahabuddin Mashayekhi Rad, Bangladesh representative of Iran’s Al-Mustafa International University and Seyyed Reza Mirmohammadi, cultural counsellor of the Iran Cultural Centre in Dhaka. Speakers at the event described the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a clear disregard for the global order and a violation of international law. They criticized the attacks carried out during the holy month of Ramadan, accusing Israel and the United States of demonstrating what they called “terrorist behaviour”.

BGB has seized a large consignment of Indian medicines,narcotics and other smuggled goods during separate operations in the Kushtia border area. Photo: BSSKUSHTIA, March 06, 2026 (BSS) - The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has seizeda large consignment of Indian medicines, narcotics, and other smuggled goodsduring separate operations in the Kushtia border area. The 47th Battalion of the BGB conducted the raids, recovering contraband withan estimated total value approximately Taka 60 lakh. The information was confirmed through a press release issued today by thecommander of the 47th BGB Rashed Kamal Roni. The BGB reported that the majority of the seized items, including Indianmedicines and smuggled goods, were recovered in an unclaimed or ownerlessstate from areas adjacent to the border.

Photo : BSSDHAKA, Mar 6, 2026 (BSS) - Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan today said ensuring a respectable wage board for journalists is essential to elevate the media industry to a dignified level and retain talented professionals in the profession. Swapan said the media industry cannot operate under any law that allows owners to avoid paying journalists’ salaries. The minister said implementing the wage board and ensuring accountability in the overall process of newspaper registration are matters of national interest. DRU President Abu Saleh Akon chaired the event while its General Secretary Mynul Hasan Sohel conducted the event. During the session, the DRU general secretary placed several proposals before the information minister.

The US energy secretary said Friday the US Navy was preparing to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as it’s reasonable to do it,” as traffic through the key trade route remains strangled due to the US-Israel war on Iran. “As soon as it’s reasonable to do it, we’ll escort ships through the straits and get the energy moving again,” Chris Wright told US broadcaster Fox News’s “Fox and Friends” show. US President Donald Trump had said on Tuesday that the US Navy would “begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible” in a bid to avoid disruption of global oil supplies. A fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas travels through the strait. “On Thursday, day six of the conflict, commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained virtually nonexistent, with activity largely limited to Iranian vessels,” said a JP Morgan note released Friday.

US President Donald Trump on Friday demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender” as the only acceptable outcome to end hostilities, while promising to help rebuild the country’s economy if Tehran complied and installed new leadership. “There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. The post came as Israel bombarded regime targets in Tehran and Hezbollah positions in Beirut, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said US strikes against Iran were “about to surge dramatically.”Trump said that following any capitulation by the Islamic Republic, the United States and its allies would work to bring Iran “back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before.”This would be contingent on the installation of what he called “a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s).”He closed with a new slogan — “MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA! )” — a riff on his “Make America Great Again” political brand.

Lebanon says 217 killed, 798 wounded in Israeli strikes since MondayBEIRUT, Lebanon, March 6, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - At least 217 people have been killed and 798 wounded in Lebanon since the start of a new war between Israel and Hezbollah on Monday, Lebanon's health ministry announced Friday. The previous toll from the ministry, published Thursday evening, was 123 dead and 683 wounded. Israeli air strikes hit south and east Lebanon as well as Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday.

Rising international fuel prices amid the Middle East war have sparked fears of fuel smuggling, prompting the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) to boost personnel, intensify patrols, and strengthen search operations at the Jessore border. A press release from the Jessore Battalion (49 BGB) on Friday (March 6) said that under BGB headquarters’ directives, special surveillance has been launched across the battalion’s responsible areas. Additional BGB members have been deployed at the Benapole land port and at the Sharsha and Chougaccha border points in Jessore. BGB members are on maximum alert to prevent any fuel smuggling. We will safeguard the country’s fuel resources and take strict legal action against those involved in smuggling.”Meanwhile, fear of a fuel shortage has led bikers in Jessore to crowd fuel pumps, often demanding more fuel than needed.

The T20 World Cup 2026 final promises fireworks as two of the tournament’s most destructive batters – New Zealand’s Finn Allen and India’s Sanju Samson – prepare to headline the title clash in Ahmedabad on Sunday. New Zealand opener Allen produced one of the most remarkable innings in T20 World Cup history in the semi-final, smashing a breathtaking 33-ball century to dismantle South Africa and power the Black Caps into the final. His brutal knock, featuring eight sixes and 10 fours, broke Chris Gayle’s long-standing record for the fastest T20 World Cup hundred, which had stood at 47 balls since 2016. New Zealand, often labelled perennial underdogs, scraped into the semi-finals on net run rate but now stand just one victory away from their first T20 World Cup title. India’s charge to the final, meanwhile, has been driven by the brilliant form of wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson.

Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and opposition chief whip, said on Friday that women’s oppression and rape have increased across Bangladesh since the formation of the BNP government. Women’s oppression and child rape continue nationwide. Despite all this, civil society and women’s rights activists remain silent,” Nahid said. He added: “Even if everyone remains silent, the National Citizen Party will not. NCP will always speak out to protect people’s rights.”Regarding the president, the opposition chief whip said: “The current president used to end his speeches by saying ‘Joy Bangla’; now he ends his speeches with ‘Zindabad’.