DMP Commissioner Sheikh Md. Sajjat Ali urged Dhaka residents to secure their homes and businesses before traveling for Eid, citing the police force’s staffing shortages. He highlighted the rise in street crimes, such as mobile phone snatching, primarily by juvenile gangs. Despite challenges, he assured that the city has seen a decline in major crimes like murder and robbery in recent years. The commissioner emphasized that no incidents will be left unreported or unrecorded during this period.

A Bangladeshi man, Al Amin (36), was shot dead by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday at the Bhitargarh border in Panchagarh. Local sources reported that Al Amin had been missing for three days. On Friday night, he and a group of 15-20 smugglers were attempting to smuggle cattle from India into Bangladesh when BSF intercepted them, leading to a physical altercation. At one point, BSF opened fire. The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) commander held a flag meeting with his BSF counterpart, strongly protesting the incident and demanding the return of the body.

The United States is set to close several consulates across Europe as part of a plan to reduce its workforce, according to multiple foreign officials cited by The Guardian on Thursday. The closures are expected to take place within the coming months. Initial reports suggest that consulates in several smaller cities, including Leipzig, Hamburg, and Düsseldorf in Germany, Bordeaux and Strasbourg in France, and Florence in Italy, could be shut down. However, the US government has not yet made an official decision. The Trump administration has stated that the closures are part of a broader strategy to reduce global staff levels.

Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s Permanent Representative in Vienna, stated that Israel has no right to comment on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program. When a BBC Persian journalist expressed doubts about Iran’s nuclear activities, Ulyanov firmly emphasized that Iran is a key neighbor and ally of Russia. He further clarified that even if Iran’s uranium enrichment program reaches 90%, it remains entirely peaceful.

On Friday, India expressed concerns over the ‘deteriorating law and order situation’ and the safety of minorities in Bangladesh. Ranjit Jayaswal stated that between August 5 of last year and February 15 this year, 2,374 incidents occurred, with the police investigating 1,254 of them. Investigations revealed that 98% of these incidents were politically motivated. The newly-formed National Citizens’ Party (NCP) expressed their support for a stable, peaceful, pluralistic, and progressive Bangladesh, where democratic processes and participatory elections would resolve all issues.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has seized smuggled goods worth Tk 11.3 million that were illegally brought from India, evading customs duty. According to Lieutenant Colonel Md. Nazmul Haque, commander of the 48th BGB Battalion, a raid was conducted early Friday along the Sylhet and Sunamganj border areas. Items seized include a large quantity of sunglasses, sarees, raisins, creams, chocolates, mehndi, razor blades, sugar, hair oil, soap, basmati rice, liquor, and Phensedyl. Authorities have stated that legal actions will be taken in accordance with regulations.

A Bangladeshi youth named Sahed Mia was shot dead by Indian smugglers inside Indian territory near the Sylhet-Kanaighat border early Friday morning. The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) stated that Sahed was involved in smuggling, and the incident occurred due to a conflict between smugglers from both countries. The process of repatriating the body is underway. Kanaighat Police Officer-in-Charge Awal Mia confirmed that the BGB informed them about the incident, and legal procedures are being followed to bring the body back.

Following water level assessments at Farakka on Tuesday, a joint committee of India and Bangladesh met at a Kolkata hotel on Thursday to discuss the implementation of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty. Representatives from both nations addressed concerns over reduced water flow and its impact. Mohammad Abul Hossain, leading the Bangladeshi delegation, told DW that they were satisfied with the discussions but acknowledged that lower water levels this year had affected both countries. The decreased flow has raised concerns about irrigation challenges in Bangladesh’s southwestern districts and potential threats to biodiversity in the Sundarbans. Talks will continue on Friday.

According to The Hindu, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy engaged in extensive discussions on bilateral relations and current geopolitical tensions during Jaishankar’s official visit to the UK. In addition to addressing various India-UK matters, the two diplomats also discussed the situations in Bangladesh and Ukraine. While the meeting covered a range of global geopolitical issues, Jaishankar did not disclose specific details about the discussions related to Bangladesh.

Chhatra Dal activists in Dhaka’s Tejgaon Industrial Area recovered a snatched TVS Apache RTR 160 CC motorcycle. The incident occurred in front of the Land Record and Survey Department, where muggers attempted to escape with the stolen bike. Activists chased the snatcher, forcing him to abandon the vehicle. Under the supervision of local Chhatra Dal leaders Abu Bakker Siddique Suman and Anisur Rahman Manik, the motorcycle was handed over to its rightful owner through the police. Several student leaders were present during the handover.

During a courtesy meeting with former U.S. ambassadors William B. Milam and Danilovich at Jamuna on Thursday, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus stated that if political parties demand extensive reforms, elections will be held by June next year. However, if fewer reforms are requested, the election will take place in December.

Professor Yunus informed diplomats that after the reform discussions conclude, political parties will sign the “July Charter,” which will serve as a guiding framework. The interim government will implement certain recommendations from the charter, while the remaining ones will be carried out by future elected governments.

Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus is set to embark on his first bilateral visit to China, the Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday. He will travel on a special flight arranged by Chinese President Xi Jinping. During the visit, Dr. Yunus will meet with Xi Jinping on March 28. He has also been invited to attend the Boao Forum for Asia, scheduled to take place in Hainan Province from March 25-28. The visit was finalized after Bangladesh gave the green signal following China’s invitation.

Fifty-six Bangladeshi fishermen, who were detained by the Myanmar Navy, have been released after ten hours in custody. The fishermen were arrested along with six fishing trawlers while fishing near Saint Martin’s Island in the Bay of Bengal. According to Lieutenant Colonel Ashiqur Rahman, the trawlers unintentionally entered Myanmar’s territorial waters while fishing in the southwest region of the sea. The Myanmar Navy confiscated fish, nets, and food supplies from the boats before releasing the fishermen.

The Trump administration has directly engaged in negotiations with Hamas, bypassing Israel, to secure the release of American hostages held in Gaza and to establish a broader ceasefire agreement. On Wednesday, Trump’s Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Adam Boehler, held talks in Doha. Sources told Axios that while discussions are ongoing, no formal agreement has been reached yet. Additionally, Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, had planned a visit to Qatar on Tuesday but canceled it due to a lack of progress in Israel’s ceasefire deal.

On August 5, Sheikh Hasina fled to India, initially assumed to be a brief six-to-seven-hour visit. However, she remains there as a guest while Bangladesh’s government continues to press for her extradition. Analysts argue that turning away a guest contradicts Indian traditions. Under extradition treaties, political cases can be exempted from repatriation. While Hasina has not been given a state platform in India, she has been allowed to speak online. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval reportedly meet her only when necessary, with limited access to others. As a UN official, her close aide, Putul, is also restricted from staying with her.