An unusual and controversial run-out involving Salman Ali Agha during the second ODI between Bangladesh national cricket team and Pakistan national cricket team in Dhaka has sparked intense discussion on social media, with many fans debating the spirit of cricket surrounding the dismissal.Pakistan are currently touring Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series, with the hosts already leading the series after winning the opening match. However, the second ODI witnessed a dramatic moment that quickly went viral online.

Controversial moment during the 39th over

The incident took place in the 39th over of Pakistan’s innings when a mix-up and quick thinking from Bangladesh skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz resulted in Agha’s dismissal.Mohammad Rizwan nudged the ball to the right of the bowler, where Mehidy moved across to stop it with his boot. At that moment, Agha was standing out of his crease and the two players collided slightly as the ball trickled to a halt near their feet.Believing the ball was effectively dead, Agha bent down to pick it up and return it to the bowler. However, Mehidy reacted quickly, grabbed the ball and underarmed it onto the stumps, catching Agha outside his crease.The on-field umpire, Tanvir Ahmed, referred the decision to the third umpire.After reviewing the footage, the third umpire ruled that the ball was still in play, meaning Mehidy’s action was completely within the laws of the game. Agha was therefore given out.The dismissal led to heated exchanges between Agha and Mehidy, while Bangladesh wicketkeeper Litton Das also appeared involved in the discussion before players stepped in to calm the situation.Agha departed after a well-made 64 off 62 balls, including seven fours and two sixes.

Pakistan collapse after strong start

Pakistan’s innings eventually ended before the 50-over mark despite a dominant start earlier in the game. Young opener Maaz Sadaqat set the tone for Pakistan with an explosive knock, reaching his half-century in just 31 balls while taking on Bangladesh’s pace attack.Pakistan raced to a 100-plus opening partnership, providing the perfect platform for a big total. Later, another century stand between Rizwan and Agha put Pakistan firmly in control. However, the controversial run-out of Agha proved to be a turning point.After his dismissal, Pakistan’s innings collapsed dramatically as they lost their final seven wickets for just 43 runs as they were bowled out for 273.

MUMBAI: The Food Distribution Department conducted a crackdown on a gang involved in the black marketing of domestic and commercial gas cylinders in the Worli area, seizing a significant stock, officials reported on Saturday.The joint operation, carried out by the Controller Food Rationing Office squad along with officers from Office No. 21, focused on the illegal stockpiling and sale of gas cylinders at inflated prices in the ‘Suraj Vallabhdas Chawl’ area on Ganpatrao Kadam Road near Worli Naka, accordint to news agency ANI.

Authorities confiscated 64 filled 4-kg and 19 filled 12-kg cylinders of Super Gas Company, as well as six filled and 58 empty 5-kg cylinders of HP Gas Company. In addition, 25 empty cylinders of various sizes—12 kg, 4 kg, and 2 kg—were seized.This action comes amid a nationwide rise in LPG cylinder prices, largely due to supply chain disruptions resulting from the ongoing West Asia conflict.Meanwhile, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Sujata Sharma assured on Thursday that the domestic supply of LPG, petrol, diesel, kerosene, and natural gas remains stable. Citizens have been urged to avoid panic booking and conserve fuel.To curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG cylinders amid rising global energy concerns linked to the West Asia conflict, the Central government instructed oil refineries nationwide to increase LPG production and introduced a 25-day inter-booking system on March 10.The additional production will be directed to meet domestic household demand and help stabilize supply in the coming months, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas stated on Monday.In a post on X, the ministry said oil refineries have been instructed to enhance LPG production and prioritise the extra output for household consumption. “In light of current geopolitical disruptions to fuel supply and constraints on the supply of LPG, the Ministry has issued orders to oil refineries for higher LPG production and using such extra production for domestic LPG use. The ministry has prioritised domestic LPG supply to households and introduced a 25 day inter-booking period to avoid hoarding/black marketing,” it said.

Swara Bhasker‘s mother and film scholar Ira Bhaskar has criticised Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar while discussing the politics of contemporary Indian cinema during a recent panel conversation hosted by activist-writer Harsh Mander on his YouTube channel Karwan e Mohabbat.The discussion also featured Harish Wankhede, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Political Science at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and examined how politics, ideology and representation intersect in Indian films today.

‘This is an example of a filmmaker ideologically convinced by Hindutva’

During the conversation, Bhaskar pointed to the commercial success of Dhurandhar while questioning the ideological messaging she believes the film promotes.“Let me give the example of Dhurandhar, which is earning crores at the box office. Since it’s the most recent example of this, also doing very well at the box office. This is an example of a film made by a filmmaker who is ideologically convinced by Hindutva and the ideology of Hindutva,” she said.At the same time, Bhaskar acknowledged Dhar’s filmmaking ability and described him as a competent director, while maintaining that the film reflects a clear ideological position.Bhaskar also questioned whether a film’s technical craft can be separated from the ideas it conveys.“But what is technical, you know, I mean, how is technique to be divorced from and how is form to be divorced from content,” she said, arguing that form and content in cinema cannot be viewed in isolation.

‘You don’t see any normal Muslim there’

The scholar further criticised the way Muslims are portrayed in the film, saying the narrative reinforces certain stereotypes.“It’s extremely violent. And its violence is at the service of a belief structure of an ideology that Muslims are very violent people. Pakistan is a very violent nation. You don’t see any normal Muslim there. Everyone is a terrorist or a gangster,” Bhaskar said.She also argued that films claiming to be inspired by real events often selectively present facts.“It’s a fiction film based on true events, supposedly. And it’s selective as all these films are. It will only selectively choose what to put together in order to serve the ideology,” she added. The discussion also touched upon the portrayal of Dalits and Muslims in Indian cinema and what these depictions reveal about the country’s political and cultural climate. The panel reflected on whether films centred on themes of humanism, secularism and social equality continue to find space in the current landscape of Indian filmmaking.Meanwhile, after the blockbuster success of Dhurandhar, its sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, is set to release in theatres on March 19, with paid previews scheduled for March 18.

MUMBAI: A 54-year-old Indian seafarer from Mumbai has died after the oil tanker he was serving on came under attack near Iraq’s southern port city of Basra.India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways confirmed in a statement on 12 March that one Indian crew member had died in the incident.

Deonandan Prasad Singh was residing in Kandivli, Mumbai and was working as an additional chief engineer aboard the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker MT Safesea Vishnu when it was struck near Khor Al Zubair Port on Wednesday, according to India’s Directorate General of Shipping. Officials said Singh suffered severe injuries during the attack and later died. “Singh sustained severe injuries during the incident and later succumbed to them. Authorities and relevant maritime agencies have been informed, and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack is underway,” a ministry official said. Following the incident, the tanker’s crew abandoned the vessel and entered the water. They were later rescued by an STS tug. The Iraqi Coast Guard evacuated all 28 crew members — including 16 Indians and 12 Filipinos — and brought them safely to the port of Basra.

25 years of experience in marine engineering

Singh, who had nearly 25 years of experience in marine engineering, had reportedly not been sailing for several years and was working in a shore-based role before he returned to sea. His family said he had moved to a desk job more than seven years ago but was asked to rejoin ship duty shortly before the conflict in the region escalated. “Despite having stopped sailing and having taken a shore desk job, he was sent to join the ship as per a contract clause,” a family member said. “He joined the vessel in Iraq just three days before the war began when the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February.” The family said Singh died less than two weeks after boarding the vessel. Relatives also said Singh originally hailed from Rani Bamia village in Sonhaula block of Bihar’s Bhagalpur district.“A company official called us around 5 am and informed us about the attack and my brother’s death,” His brother Krishnanandan Prasad Singh said.

‘The suicidal ship’

Family members told news agency PTI, the vessel carrying Singh was allegedly targeted by an Iranian “suicidal ship” during the hostilities in the region. In an attempt to save his life, Singh jumped into the sea, they said. “Rescue teams tried their best to save him, but they could not succeed,” Singh said. Singh and other family members left for Delhi after receiving the information. Singh is survived by a son and a daughter. His son, who lives in the United States, has also left for India after learning about the incident, relatives said. The Directorate General of Shipping office in Mumbai did not comment on the matter. The shipping company managing the vessel — Executive Management or Bravo Shipping Management — did not respond to requests for comment. The management of MT Safesea Vishnu and associated stakeholders expressed condolences to Singh’s family. A condolence message was also posted by the alumni association of BIT Sindri, where Singh had studied.

AMRITSAR: The LPG crisis triggered by the West Asia conflict has not yet slowed down the world’s largest community kitchen — the ‘Guru Ka Langar’ at Golden Temple that serves nearly 1 lakh devotees every day. The shrine’s management, which requires 25 LPG cylinders daily, is expecting a fresh delivery of 100 cylinders on Friday and has over 500 quintals of firewood in reserve in case of any contingency, said a spokesperson.At the world-famous shrine, the situation is being closely managed to ensure uninterrupted service. A senior functionary at the Golden Temple, Bhagwant Singh Dangar, said the shrine consumes around 25 LPG cylinders and 1,200 units of piped gas every day to run its massive kitchen operations. In addition to one lakh devotees being served langar daily, 36 quintals of ‘karah parsad’ (the sacred pudding) is also prepared every day.

Despite the crisis, Dangar said there is no immediate shortage of fuel supplies. “We are receiving regular supplies. Tomorrow, we are expecting a delivery of about 100 gas cylinders,” he said.

However, the shrine management has also prepared a contingency plan. In case of any disruption in gas supply, the kitchen could switch to traditional cooking methods. “We have a reserve stock of 500–1,000 quintals of firewood, which can be used if required,” he added.The fuel situation has become a matter of concern not only for households but also for large commercial and religious establishments after the administration reportedly prioritised fuel supplies for domestic consumption and institutions.Apart from the Golden Temple, large numbers of devotees also visit nearby gurdwaras such as Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj Sahib, Gurdwara Pipli Sahib, Gurdwara Toba Bhai Salho Ji and Gurdwara Guru Ka Mahal, where langar services also run daily. Meanwhile, Amritsar’s most prominent Hindu shrine, Durgiana Mandir, is also keeping a close watch on fuel supplies.General secretary Arun Kumar Khanna said the temple serves langar to nearly 10,000 devotees daily, while prasad is prepared regularly at the Bhog Bhandar. He said around 10 LPG cylinders are used in the Bhog Bhandar and another 6–8 cylinders for preparing langar each day. Like the Golden Temple, the temple management has also kept adequate stocks of firewood to ensure that food services continue smoothly even if gas supplies are delayed.

MUMBAI: Kandivli resident Deonandan Prasad Singh (54) was killed after the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker MT Safesea Vishnu, on which he was serving, came under attack near Khor Al Zubair Port, close to Basra, Iraq, on Wednesday, according to the director general of shipping, ministry of port, shipping and waterways.In a press release on March 12, the ministry had confirmed the death of one Indian seafarer. An official said Singh, serving as the additional chief engineer (superintendent) aboard the vessel, died following the attack. Singh’s family alleged he had been on shore duty for over seven years after leaving sailing work, having served on the engineering side for almost 25 years, before the company forced him to rejoin a ship three days before the war began when the US and Israel attacked Iran on Feb 28.“Singh was killed almost two weeks after joined the vessel at Iraq. It is sort of forcing him to join as he has signed the agreement with the company and in a corporate world one has to abide the company’s rules and regulations. Despite having stopped sailing and having taken a shore desk job, he was sent to die. The company forced him to join the ship as per the contract clause he had signed and joined the ship in Iraq three days prior to the war began,” a family member said.“Singh sustained severe injuries during the incident and later succumbed to them. Authorities and relevant maritime agencies have been informed, and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack is underway,” a ministry official said.Following the incident, all crew members abandoned the vessel and entered the water. They were rescued by an STS tug. The Iraqi Coast Guard evacuated all 28 crew members, including 16 Indian nationals and 12 Filipino nationals, and transported them the port of Basra.The DG Shipping office in Mumbai remained tight-lipped. The shipping company, Executive Management or Bravo Shipping Management, was yet to revert to a mail sent by TOI. The management of MT Safesea Vishnu and associated stakeholders expressed condolences to Singh’s family.The alumni cell of BIT Sindri posted a condolence message on on Facebook.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026 aimed at preventing religious conversions through coercion, fraud or marriage, says any child born out of a marriage or a “relationship in the nature of a marriage” due to unlawful conversion shall be “deemed to belong to the religion of the mother before such marriage or relationship”.The Bill mandates that any person intending to convert as well as any individual or institution organising a conversion ceremony, must give a notice at least 60 days in advance to the competent authority. The competent authority will then display details of the proposed conversion on its office notice board and the office of the village panchayat or local authority concerned and invite objections from the public within 30 days.The Bill requires that the converted person and individual or institution organising the ceremony submit a declaration to the same authority within 21 days after the conversion. It allows any person including the converted person’s parents, siblings or relatives by blood, marriage or adoption to lodge an FIR if they suspect unlawful conversion and mandates police to register such complaints.While setting a jail term of seven years and a fine of Rs 1 lakh for those “involved” in illegal conversion, it prescribes similar punishment for those “involved” in mass conversions and a fine of Rs 5 lakh. Repeat individual offenders can get a jail sentence of 10 years and fine of Rs 5 lakh. Inducements seen as illegal in such cases include gifts, employment, free education, better lifestyle or divine healing, Under the proposed law, the burden of proof that a conversion was not carried out in violation of the Act will lie on the person who caused, assisted or abetted the conversion.The bill, described as draconian by critics, says “forceful” and “involuntary” religious conversions in the state are increasing and that Maharashtra has no mechanism to stop them. It cites the example of other states which have passed similar laws.“Right to freedom of religion… under the Constitution of India is not absolute, but is subject to public order, morality, health and to other provisions of… Constitution relating to the fundamental rights of citizens. The Supreme Court… has in many cases held that the freedom of religion is subject to reasonable restrictions and right to propagate under article 25 of the Constitution does not include the right to forcibly convert another person,” says the Bill.It says, “religious conversions which are forceful, involuntary or caused by influencing free consent” are rising and are “being carried out in organized manner by various institutions.” It says various states have already enacted laws to prohibit them. “The objective is to protect the right to freedom of religion. It also aims to prohibit unlawful religious conversions carried out through coercion, fraud, inducement or marriage,” said minister of state for home Pankaj Bhoyar, who introduced the bill in the assembly.Civil society bodies who opposed the bill in the run-up to its introduction in the assembly, called for a dialogue. “We are very disappointed that the bill was tabled without discussions with stakeholders who are going to be affected by this Anti-Conversion Law. It takes away the right to one’s conscience to follow the religion of their choice or marry a partner of their choice. We urge the Opposition to raise their voices and also demand that it be referred to a Select Committee for discussions as some of the clauses are draconian,” said Dolphy D’souza of The Bombay Catholic Sabha.Legal challenges against anti-conversion laws by civil rights groups such as Citizens for Justice and Peace have been taken up by the high courts in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh. Sections of these laws have been stayed by the courts and states have, in turn, gone on appeal before the Supreme Court. In Maharashtra, BJP leaders had promised during the last assembly poll campaign that an anti-conversion law would be brought to combat “love jihad”.(With inputs by Vijay V Singh)