“The attacks by police and fringe student organisations are utterly unacceptable,” the organisation said in a statement on Friday. Udichi, one of the leading cultural organisations of the country with grassroots members, also condemned police action against protesters and blamed the interim government for failing to prevent the violence. “A fascist government was ousted through the students’ uprising. The artwork depicted a tree with five leaves, each inscribed with a term for a religious or ethnic community in Bangladesh - Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, and “Adivasi”. In response, a group named Agitated Adivasi Students called for a siege of the NCTB building at 11am on Wednesday.

A saltwater crocodile basks in the sun on a winter afternoon in the Shela River in the Andharmanik area of the Chandpai Range of the Sundarbans, the world's largest tropical forest. The saltwater crocodile is believed to be the largest existing reptile in the world. This saltwater crocodile is found only in the natural environment of the Sundarbans in Bangladesh. Photo: Muhammad Mostafigur Rahman

REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File PhotoFILE PHOTO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York, US, Sept 27, 2024. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File PhotoThe Israeli cabinet will meet to give final approval to a deal with Palestinian militant group Hamas for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and release of hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Friday. "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was informed by the negotiating team that agreements have been reached on a deal to release the hostages," his office said in a statement. The security cabinet would meet on Friday before a full meeting of the cabinet later to approve the deal, it said. Hamas senior official Izzat el-Reshiq said the group remained committed to the ceasefire deal.

The conservative Christian Democrats, running with Bavarian sister party CSU, want to reverse the 2035 ban on fossil fuel-emitting cars. The party wants to end public funding for EV charging infrastructure and let the market, not the law, decide on the appropriate technology for cars. All car types should be given equal tax relief policies, the party’s manifesto said. The party also opposes fining carmakers for failing to meet the EU’s emissions targets, saying carmakers need the money for EV development. They propose research programmes for software and battery development and building up production capacity for critical technologies like semiconductors and batteries.

Sarjis Alam, the chief coordinator of the National Citizens Committee, has called for international accountability regarding the deaths along the Bangladesh border. He demanded that all border killings be brought to trial in the international court to ensure justice. "We do not want to see any more dead bodies on the border of Bangladesh. The killings of all citizens of Bangladesh at the border must be tried in the international court," he added. Sarjis made these remarks while participating in the "March for Felani" in Kurigram on Thursday.

The government will now have to issue an ordinance to repeal the act and reinstate the previous lawThe interim cabinet has sanctioned the Election Commission’s proposal to retain the National Identity Card, or NID, services. The current National Identity Registration Act, 2023, will be repealed and reverted to its previous state to retain the National Identity Card services under the Election Commission. The CEC said, “When the National Identity Card services were being transferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs, I found out through the media. Election Commission officials said in 2023, the previous Awami League government passed a law to transfer the NID operations from the Election Commission to the Public Security Department under the home ministry. Accordingly, the NID services are still under the Election Commission.

Restaurant owners have warned of shutting down their establishments if the value added tax, or VAT, hike is not reversed. RAJSHAHIIn Rajshahi, restaurant owners held a human chain at the Saheb Bazar Zero Point on Thursday at 11am. Organised by the Rajshahi District Restaurant Owners' Association, the protest was led by its president Riaz Ahmed Khan. THAKURGAONIn Thakurgaon, a joint human chain by the Restaurant Owners' Association and the Bakery Owners' Association took place at the Chowrasta intersection at 11am. Atul Kumar Pal, president of the Thakurgaon District Restaurant Owners' Association, and Abul Kashem, its treasurer, addressed the crowd.

Barishal's Mallikpur to Aliganj stretch of Meghna remains a nightmare for river workersFear grips river workers on Meghna: extortion persists despite change in leadershipShamim Ahmed, who has been transporting goods via river routes for nearly three decades, is no stranger to extortion and robbery. Shamim's cargo vessel, carrying stones from Chandpur’s Dasani to Satkhira, got stuck in the Meghna River due to low tide. The two-kilometre stretch of the Meghna River from Mallikpur to Aliganj in Barishal is a zone of terror for river workers. Despite repeated complaints about the extortion on the Meghna River, law-enforcing agencies have not taken effective steps to address the issue. Conversations with many river transport workers at Aliganj Bazar in Hijla revealed their constant fear.

Police disperse protests by ‘Adivasi’ studentsProtesters hold a rally in front of Dhaka University's Raju Sculpture on Thursday, Jan 16, 2025, under the banner of 'Agitated Adivasi Students' in response to the attack on students who took to the streets to protest the removal of imagery with the word 'Adivasi' from ninth and tenth grade textbooks. When the protesters tried to move towards the Secretariat from there, police used water cannons and batons to disperse the crowd in front of the Shikkha Bhaban.

Anti-discrimination Student Movement Secretary Arif Sohel says they will discuss content of the July declaration in the next phasePolitical parties do not want to ‘rush’ the July declarationIn drafting the July declaration, political parties in the all-party meeting have advised that it is not done “hastily and carelessly”. The July declaration will be issued based on the consensus of the participants of the uprising and all democratic political parties. Exiting the meeting, representatives of the political parties and Law Advisor Asif Nazrul spoke with journalists. The document must be prepared, taking the necessary time and incorporating the opinions of all stakeholders, including students and political parties. For this, the political parties have asked for time from the chief advisor.

A court has ordered the freezing of shares worth Tk 3.5 billion belonging to businessman Saiful Alam, who chairs the S Alam Group, and his family members.Following a hearing on Thursday, Dhaka Metro-politan Sessions Judge Zakir Hossain Galib issued the order.ACC lawyer Mir Mohammad Ali Salam told bdnews24.com shares worth around Tk 3.5 billion, owned by Saiful and his family, have been frozen.These shares were discovered during an investigation into his "illegal assets".ACC Court Inspector Amir Hossain told bdnews24.com the judge passed the order after hearing the application of ACC Deputy Director Abu Sayeed.The application states during the investigation into allegations against Saiful and his family laundering $1 billion to Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, Cyprus, and other countries, information about shares linked to their interests surfaced.It also mentioned a risk of losing the said immovable properties if they are not frozen immediately.The need to freeze movable assets under Section 14 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2012, was also highlighted.Earlier on Jan 14, the court ordered the seizure of 16 immovable properties worth Tk 2 billion belonging to Saiful and his family and the freezing of 87 bank accounts worth Tk 250 million in the names of his family members.The properties include a 10-storey S Alam Tower in Gulshan, a six-storey building with one bigha, or 0.1337 hectares, of land in Dhanmondi, a four-storey building with 11.88 decimals of land in Dhanmondi Lake Circus, A 2,658 square-foot flat in Gulshan, 0.7888 acres, or 0.3189 hectares, of land in Gulshan-2, a seven-storey building in Uttara Residential Area, a plot of 103.3 kathas, or 1.708 hectares, land in Bashundhara Residential Area.Separate plots of land: 1.72 acres, or 0.6968 hectares, 96 katha, or 0.575 hectares, 1.9536 acres, or 0.7904 hectares, 11.1061 bighas, or 1.486 hectares, and 131.04 katha, or 0.787 hectares.Of the 87 bank accounts blocked, Tk 122.48 million is held in 19 accounts in Union Bank branches, while Tk 135.31 million is deposited in 68 accounts across Global Islami Bank.On Oct 7 2024, the court imposed a travel ban on Saiful and 13 of his family members.Others under the ban are Saiful's wife Farzana Parveen, two sons Ashraful Alam and Ahsanul Alam; six brothers Morshedul Alam, Shahidul Alam, Rashedul Alam, Abdus Samad, Osman Gani and Mohammad Abdullah Hasan.In addition, Samad's wife Shahana Ferdous, Osman's wife Farzana Begum and a person named Mishkat Ahmed will not be able to leave the country.Various irregularities in the S Alam Group, an industrial conglomerate known as a beneficiary of the ousted Awami League government, came to light following the change in power due to the mass uprising.Government agencies have started investigating allegations of irregularities in the banking sector, money laundering and income tax evasion against Saiful, the chairman of this Chittagong-based group.The allegations against Saiful, claiming he forcibly took control of Islami Bank with the help of influential figures during the tenure of the previous government, are long-standing.He and his business group later gained control of the boards of several other Sharia-based banks.He is accused of taking loans from these banks under large sums, opening companies in his name, and using irregularities and fraud to launder money abroad.Meanwhile, the S Alam family's bank accounts and BO accounts have been blocked, and share transactions have been suspended.Governor Ahsan H Mansur has said the government will take ownership of the shares of various banks controlled by S Alam.On Aug 29, the National Board of Revenue, or NBR, wrote to the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms requesting a suspension of the transfer of ownership of seven business groups, including S Alam.On Aug 31, the CID's Financial Crime Unit said it had received initial information about the laundering of Tk 1.13 trillion abroad against the S Alam family.—bdnews24.com

He emphasises that religious minorities should not be persecuted in Bangladesh or any other countryAmbassador Garcetti says US, India both want elections at the earliest in BangladeshThe American Ambassador to Delhi Eric Garcetti has said both the US and India want restoration of democracy and democratic elections as quickly as possible in Bangladesh. WION journalist Dhiraj Patel said, “We saw [Sheikh] Hasina leaving [Bangladesh], that was seen as a setback for India. Both of us want to see democracy and democratic elections established in Bangladesh as soon as possible. During his speech on Victory Day, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus provided an indication about the possible election schedule. We believe that the election is possible by mid-year, that is, between July and August."

The government has convened this meeting to foster national unity on the July proclamationThe chief advisor's meeting with political parties, part of July proclamation preparations, has ended. Members of various political parties joined within the scheduled time. BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed and a four-strong delegation led by Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar joined the "all-party" meeting called by the chief advisor. Khelafat Majlis Secretary General Ahmed Abdul Kader led a three-member contingent while Islami Andolan was represented by Joint Secretary General Gazi Ataur Rahman and one other representative. However, Mahfuj mentioned discussions with stakeholders would begin, though political parties have shown little interest.

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationIndia became the world's fourth nation on Thursday to achieve the feat of space docking, a technological milestone that underscores its ambitions to expand its share of a rapidly growing $400-billion global space market. The indigenous technology, crucial for satellite servicing, space station operations, and interplanetary missions, positions India for a key role in commercial and exploratory space efforts. "Various missions, like building a space station, need assembly in space, which is not possible without space docking." ISRO said the two satellites participating in its Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX), will now be controlled as a single object, with power transfer checks made in the next few days. The successful SpaDeX mission "is a significant stepping stone for India's ambitious space missions in the years to come," Modi said on X.

The interim government “strongly condemns” the attack on a “peaceful gathering of a group of ethnic minority students”, the CAO said in a statement. When the Agitated Adivasi Students announced their protest, the Students for Sovereignty announced a counter-protest. Though police tried to separate the two sides, witnesses say the Adivasi student group was attacked by protesters from the other side. Alik Mro, an organiser for the Agitated Adivasi Students, told bdnews24.com, "Students from Students for Sovereignty attacked us. But Students for Sovereignty Convenor Muhammad Ziaul Haque Zia told bdnews24.com, "Fourteen students from the Students for Sovereignty were injured in an attack by the tribals."