Bangladesh would not face any immediate fuel shortage as the government has taken fast measures, asking Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) to secure fuel from alternative sources on an urgent basis. “If fuel sources are managed efficiently, the situation would not worsen. He said Bangladesh has been importing refined fuel from Singapore, China, Malaysia and Indonesia and is planning to import energy from other alternative sources. Experts said Bangladesh can import coal for coal-fired power plants and avoid fuel, and also LNG during the crisis period. Due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, we will not have to face problems for refined fuel oil,” said BPC Director Dr AKM Azadur Rahman earlier.

JERUSALEM, March 6, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The Israeli military said on Friday it had hit a Hezbollah command centre and drone depot in a "broad-scale wave of strikes" overnight in Beirut's southern suburbs. The strikes came after the Israeli army issued an evacuation warning for the area, home to hundreds of thousands of people and a stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah, sending residents fleeing in panic. "As part of the strikes, an executive council's command centre and a facility storing UAVs (drones) utilised by Hezbollah for conducting attacks against the State of Israel were struck," the Israeli military said in a statement. Overall, the Israeli army said it had carried out 26 waves of strikes in the suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, since the start of its campaign in the country this week. Lebanon's health ministry said on Thursday that 123 people had been killed and 683 wounded in the Israeli strikes across the country.

Trump demands say on Iran's next leader as Mideast war spiralsBEIRUT, Lebanon, March 6, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - US President Donald Trump on Thursday insisted he have a say in picking Iran's next supreme leader, as the war triggered by the US-Israeli campaign that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reverberated throughout the Middle East and beyond. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran," Trump told the publication, threatening more war in the future if a better alternative was not found. Following fresh strikes on Iran's capital, AFPTV images showed blackened vehicles and mangled buildings, with smoke still rising from some. Israel, meanwhile, said 60 percent of Iran's missile launchers and 80 percent of its air defence systems had been destroyed. AFP reporters in Jerusalem heard explosions following warnings of incoming Iranian missile fire.

The government has set limits on how much fuel consumers can purchase from filling stations amid concerns over possible supply disruptions caused by the ongoing US–Israel conflict involving Iran. The government said measures are already in place to maintain a normal fuel supply. Under the new directive, fuel purchase limits have been set as follows:Motorcycles: up to 2 litresPrivate cars: up to 10 litresSUVs/Microbuses: 20–25 litresPickups/Local buses (diesel): 70–80 litresLong-distance trucks and buses (diesel): 200–220 litresConditions for fuel purchaseThe BPC also issued several conditions for fuel sales at filling stations. Filling stations are also required to report their fuel stock and sales information to the relevant depots before lifting additional fuel. Fuel prices in Bangladesh are determined by the government at the beginning of each month, and authorities said no decision has been taken to increase fuel prices despite the current situation.

SEOUL, March 6, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - South Korea struck a deal Friday to ship around four million barrels of oil from the United Arab Emirates, bolstering supplies as the US-Israel war on Iran upends energy markets. Iran claims it is now in control of the crucial Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf chokepoint through which a fifth of the world's crude oil flows. Heavily reliant on oil shipped through the strait, South Korea said it had dispatched tankers to secure alternative supplies of fuel. South Korea is the fourth-largest importer of crude oil in the world, according to US government figures. About 70 percent of the crude oil South Korea imports passes through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the government.

The vessel reported engine trouble and sought port entry after another Iranian vessel, IRIS Dena, was hit by a US torpedo off Sri Lanka's southern coast on Wednesday. Washington later announced it carried out the attack, which killed at least 84 Iranian sailors aboard and left 64 more missing. Thirty-two sailors were rescued by the Sri Lanka Navy and were being treated at a hospital in the southern port city of Galle. Wednesday's attack was the first military strike far outside the Middle East since the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran. Sri Lanka has remained neutral in the latest conflict.

Bangladesh head coach Peter Butler expressed pride in his players despite their 5-0 defeat to North Korea in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup on Friday, describing the match as “a real footballing lesson” for the debutants. Despite the heavy margin against three-time champions North Korea, the women in red and green had earlier earned praise for their spirited display against nine-time champions China. “We played an absolutely fantastic team today, probably one of the best, if not the best, in Asian football,” Butler said after the match. Bangladesh goalkeeper Mile Akter impressed with a number of crucial saves against both China and North Korea, drawing special praise from the coach. She has a bright future if she keeps her feet on the ground.”With North Korea assured of a place in the quarter-finals after two emphatic victories, Bangladesh will face Uzbekistan on March 9 in Perth.

Bangladesh conceded two goals in the first half and another three goals in the second half. From the outset, North Korea looked sharp, hungry and in-complete control. Nine ranked North Korea, despite having several scoring opportunities early, they took some time to regain their rhythm as VAR decisions ruled their efforts. Bangladesh ranked 112th in FIFA ranking, rarely threatened to Korea and were often remained busy for clearances under immense pressure. Myong Yu-Jong (45+5th) and Kim Kyong-Yong (45+7th ) scored the first two goals for Korea.

The interim government did not consult with his party on agreements signed with various countries during its tenure, Jamaat e Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman said on Friday. “During the tenure of the interim government, several agreements were signed with different countries. Unfortunately, we were not consulted in any way regarding those agreements,” he wrote in a post on his verified Facebook page in the afternoon. He mentioned that Jamaat had repeatedly urged that, in the absence of a parliament, the interim government should make decisions on important matters, such as international agreements, through discussions with political parties — similar to how the government consulted political parties on other national issues. So, our position on the matter is clear, and there is no room for creating any confusion here,” Dr Rahman said.

“If fuel sources are managed efficiently, the situation would not be worsening. Experts said Bangladesh can import coal for coal fired power plants and avoid fuel and also LNG during the crisis period. According to Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources Corporation (Petrobangla), 115 cargoes of LNG are planned for import this year. Due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, we will not have to face problems for refined fuel oil,” said BPC Director Dr AKM Azadur Rahman earlier. Of the energy, Bangladesh usually imports major portion of energy from Middle Eastern countries.

MOSCOW, March 6, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Moscow and Kyiv exchanged 300 POWs each onFriday, Russia's defence ministry said, the second round of a swap that hasseen 500 soldiers from both sides returning home. The exchange was agreed during trilateral talks with the United States inGeneva last month, both sides said. In exchange, 300prisoners of war of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been handed over," itsaid. The exchangeswere mediated by the United States and the United Arab Emirates. Negotiations appear to have stalled, with the United States now focusing itsattention on the Middle East.

Fresh strikes rocked Iran and Lebanon on Friday, as Israel vowed to escalate to a new phase in the Middle East war that has spiraled rapidly throughout the region and beyond. In Tehran, the war has emptied the usually traffic-jammed streets but residents told AFP that security forces are keeping a tight grip on the population. Iran has launched missile and drone attacks at Israel and the Gulf since the war began. The conflict has drawn in Israel’s neighbor Lebanon after militant group Hezbollah launched missiles in support of its backer Iran. “We fled from the suburbs, we were humiliated,” one man told AFP, declining to give his name.

Former executive member of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Md Khairul Islam. According to the CID, the case was lodged with Gulshan Police Station under the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) against Khairul Islam, his wife Israt Jahan and their son Morsalin Islam Sourdeep. According to the case details, two companies-Meghna International Ltd and Meghna Estate Ltd-were registered in the names of Khairul Islam's wife and son. The CID said the accused later transferred and layered the loan money through different bank accounts to conceal its real source. The CID alleged that the accused fraudulently embezzled Tk 400 million without valid documents and laundered the money by transferring and converting the proceeds of crime through different financial transactions.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, March 6, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - At least eight people died on Thursday when a nursing home collapsed in the southern Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte, as firefighters searched through the rubble for four missing people. Twenty-nine people were in the four-story building, which also housed apartments and a cosmetic clinic, at the time of the early morning collapse, according to the Minas Gerais state fire department. Firefighters said they, with the help of rescue dogs, were searching for four missing victims believed to be buried under the rubble, a mound of broken walls, iron beams and dirt. The emergency responders managed to rescue eight people alive, including a two-year-old boy, while nine others escaped on their own or with the help of neighbors. Fire department spokesman Henrique Barcellos told reporters at the scene that the building had all the necessary permits.

Crowds of Iranians gathered in central Tehran and elsewhere for the first Friday prayers since the start of the war with the United States and Israel. This week’s Friday prayers were also the first since the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the wave of US and Israeli strikes that triggered the Middle East war. The war began on Saturday when US and Israeli strikes on Iran which responded by attacking US bases in Gulf countries and mainland Israel with drone and missiles strikes. Iran’s health ministry said nearly a 1,000 people have killed in the US and Israeli strikes which hit military sites as well as residential areas and other infrastructure. Iranian attacks killed at least 10 people in Israel according to first responders there, while the US military has reported the deaths of six of its personnel since the war erupted.