Interim government Advisor Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain has freed a man who beat a Hizb ut-Tahrir member during clashes between the banned organisation members and police at Baitul Mukarram. Asif went to the Detective Branch headquarters around 4:30pm Friday, released the detainee and took him away in his personal car. As soon as the Jummah prayers ended on Friday, Hizb ut-Tahrir members gathering at the north gate of the mosque began shouting slogans. A video footage of the man, along with police, beating a Hizb ut-Tahrir member during the clashes in the afternoon went viral on social media. After freeing the detainee, later Shojib posted on his Facebook that the man he released supplied water in the Baitul Mukarram area.

The next general election could take place within December if political parties agree to hold it with minor reforms, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has said. If the reform process is extended, the polls may be delayed by another six months, he added. Yunus-led interim administration took charge with a pledge to reform the state following the ouster of the Awami League government through mass uprising. The reform commissions formed by the government have already submitted their recommendations, which are now being discussed with political parties. “The political parties will sign the July Charter after completing dialogues on the six commissions' recommended reforms.

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoFILE PHOTO: US One dollar banknotes are seen in front of displayed stock graph in this illustration taken, Feb 8, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoThe US dollar wallowed near a four-month low on Friday as ever-shifting tariff policies fanned uncertainty and increased concern about growth prospects for the world's largest economy, leaving investors grasping for jobs data due later in the day. Against the Swiss franc, the dollar dropped to a three-month low of 0.8820 franc CHF=EBS in early trade. The greenback also lost some ground against the Canadian dollar CAD=D3 and Mexican peso MXN= following the announcement. WAGE HIKESThe US dollar index =USD, which measures the greenback against six major rivals, fell 0.05% to 104.15.

“We actually gave the warning to the Army that if they get involved, it means they may not be able to be a troop-contributing country anymore,” the UN rights chief saysThe UN human rights chief says he warned the Bangladesh Army against engaging in any repression during the July-August uprising. In an interview with the BBC programme HardTalk on Wednesday, Volker Türk said the force was warned about possible removal from peacekeeping operations. Asked why many nations are not taking international human rights bodies seriously, Türk said:“But I can give you an example where it’s taken seriously. It consisted of human rights investigators, a forensic doctor and a weapons expert. The team published a report last month on human rights violations in Bangladesh from Jul 1 to Aug 15, 2024.

Former Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique has been hospitalised in critical condition after suffering a stroke. His younger brother, Sakrin Arefin, confirmed the matter to bdnews24.com on Thursday evening. After initial tests, doctors confirmed he had a stroke,” Sakrin said. He previously served as the president and general secretary of the Dhaka University Teachers’ Association. He completed his Master’s in journalism at Dhaka University and earned a PhD from the University of Mysore in India in 1985.

In a recent meeting with officials from the Ministry of Labor and Employment, Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus emphasised the urgent need for labour law reform in Bangladesh to enhance the living standards of workers across various sectors. Labor and Employment Advisor M. Sakhawat Hossain will head the Bangladesh delegation at the upcoming ILO session. “We must approach this matter positively and take decisive action,” Dr. Yunus stated, underscoring the importance of accountability in the reform process. Lutfey Siddiqi, the Special Envoy of the Chief Advisor, participated in the meeting online and will also be part of the delegation to Geneva. Additionally, Bangladesh’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to Geneva, Tarek Md.

The two-day meeting kicked off with Mohammad Abul Hossen leading the 11-member Bangladesh contingent in Kolkata on Thursday. Sharad Chandra, Commissioner for Flood Management in India, is heading the Indian team in the meeting. Water Resources Secretary Nazmul Ahsan said: “It’s a regular JRC meeting, held between Bangladesh and India in turns. Hasina’s departure from Bangladesh sparked tension between the neighbouring countries as the interim government alleged her of “trying to destabilise” the India-Bangladesh relationship. At a time like this, the JRC meeting is being seen as a crucial episode in normalising the relationship between the countries.

Fakhrul tells iftar gatheringThe country must swiftly return to democracy through a free and fair election, said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday. He said the people of Bangladesh deserve a future free from fear, oppression, and political uncertainty. Speaking at an iftar event hosted by BNP in honour of diplomats at a hotel in Dhaka, Fakhrul read out a statement, highlighting the party's commitment to democratic governance and economic cooperation. "We want to work closely with our partners to ensure the collective progress of our region through democracy and liberal trade partnerships," he said. "We expect our global friends and partners to respect the principles of non-interference, sovereignty, and peaceful resolution of disputes for our collective growth."

REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir HossainBangladesh's interim government has been unable to fully ensure public safety and holding a general election this year will be difficult, Nahid Islam, the chief of a newly launched political party told Reuters. Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted last August in the wake of mass, sometimes violent, student-led protests. It has happened to an extent, but not up to our expectations," said Nahid Islam, the head of Jatiya Nagorik Party or National Citizens' Party (NCP) and former student leader. "In the current law and order situation and policing system, I don't think it is possible to hold a national election," the 26-year-old said in his first interview as NCP head at his government-provided villa in Dhaka. Many affluent people across Bangladesh are helping finance the party, said Islam, adding that it will soon look to crowdfunding for a new office and creating a fund for the election.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said Bangladesh's political fate will be decided only by its people. "Bangladesh Nationalist Party is committed to upholding democracy, accountability, rule of law, good governance, justice and humanity. We want to ensure that Bangladesh's political fate will be decided only by its people," he said.Mirza Fakhrul said this before attending an Iftar party with foreign diplomats working in Dhaka at the Westin Hotel in the capital on Thursday. "The BNP Secretary General said, "Today, as we share this Iftar, we are reminded of our values of justice, resilience and unity. The people of Bangladesh deserve a future free from fear, oppression and political uncertainty.

This means that $422 million more was paid than the loans received. The trend of higher repayments compared with the loans received has continued for the past two years. In 2023, repayments exceeded loan inflows by $6 billion, and in 2024, repayments were $2 billion higher than the loans received. In 2023, the private sector received $25.79 billion in foreign loans but paid back $31.13 billion, including interest. Zahid Hussain, former chief economist of the World Bank's Dhaka office, expressed concerns about the impact of the downgrade on foreign loans.

The United Nations World Food Programme, or WFP, is set to cut more than half of the food aid for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, citing a “funding shortfall”. The change will take effect on Apr 1, with the monthly food ration per refugee being slashed from $12.50 to $6, according to a WFP letter to Bangladesh on Wednesday. The cut is expected to directly impact both Rohingya refugees and local communities, he warned. “A reduction in food aid will affect nutrition, health, and security in the camps. If Rohingya refugees seek work outside the camps, the local population will also feel the impact,” the refugee relief commissioner said.

A police official from the Tejgaon Division says a man who may have been involved in the fire has been found in CCTV footageWas the fire at the BIAM building in Dhaka’s Eskaton sabotage, or an accident? Police have yet to determine whether the fire at the Bangladesh Institute of Administration and Management, or BIAM, Foundation building in Dhaka's Eskaton, which sparked from an explosion in an office room, was an accident or an act of sabotage. After the incident, police and the Fire Service initially presented the incident as an accident caused by an "air conditioner explosion" but the BCS (Administration) Welfare Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited claimed that it was an “act of sabotage”. The fire broke out in an office room of the BCS (Administration) Welfare Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd on the fifth floor of the 10-storey building. However, the BCS welfare cooperative society issued a statement claiming the incident as sabotage the following day.

Allegations have surfaced of male passengers boarding a Dhaka metro rail carriage reserved for women on a train travelling from Motijheel to Uttara and molesting its passengers, including a child. Women passengers posted about the incident, which they claim took place on Wednesday afternoon, on social media. At first, I didn’t understand how it was possible in a women’s compartment. Mitu and Probha told bdnews24.com that the harassed woman got off at Agargaon Station with her daughter. I am instructing them to take up positions in the carriage next to the women's designated carriage."

However, they have not specified if the deposed Awami League and its president, Sheikh Hasina, can participate in the polls. Comparing the 16-year Hasina regime to a “terrible tornado”, the Chief Advisor said, "We are coming from complete disorder." "If you are comparing it to the last year for example at the same time, it looks okay,” Yunus told the BBC. The chief advisor also acknowledged the safety issues surrounding the members and associates of the Awami League. In February, a number of Awami League members' residences were vandalised and burned, including the house of Hasina's late father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first president of Bangladesh.