A special team of the army-led joint forces arrested Mehedi Hasan, also known as Dipu, a close associate of top criminal Subrata Bain, from a house in North Badda, Dhaka, on Friday. Police reported that 11 sophisticated foreign firearms, 394 rounds of ammunition, eight magazines, 32 cartridges, a rifle, knives, walkie-talkies, and a laptop were recovered from a flat in Dipu’s three-storey house. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Gulshan Zone Deputy Commissioner Rownakul Alam confirmed the arrest and said a court granted five days of remand under the Arms Act.

According to police, Dipu had been evading arrest since Subrata Bain’s capture in May 2025 during a joint forces operation in Kushtia. After Bain’s imprisonment, Dipu allegedly took control of the underworld network, extorting money in Badda, Bhatara, and Gulshan areas through threats and illegal arms trade. Police also linked him to two murders in 2025 and said he managed Bain’s weapons stockpile.

Police added that Dipu had been on the wanted list for years and frequently changed locations to avoid capture. Joint forces are now conducting operations to arrest his remaining associates.

Three individuals, including Molla Shahnewaz Dolon, joint general secretary of the banned Jubo League in Bagerhat, were arrested during a joint forces operation in the Nagerbazar area late Friday night. Police reported seizing eight cans of foreign beer from their possession. The arrests were confirmed Saturday by Masum Khan, officer-in-charge of Bagerhat Sadar Model Police Station.

The other two detainees are Madhusudan Dam, general secretary of the district Puja Celebration Council, aged 49, and Md. Miraj, aged 42, all residents of Nagerbazar. Law enforcement stated that the operation took place at Dam’s residence, and the detainees were later handed over to the Sadar Model Police Station. Both Dolon and Dam have multiple cases pending against them related to alleged attacks on anti-government protesters on August 4 of the previous year.

According to police, the arrests were part of a regular drive against illegal arms and drugs in Bagerhat. The detainees were scheduled to be sent to court on Saturday.

Rock legend Ayub Bachchu has been posthumously awarded the 2026 Ekushey Padak, Bangladesh’s highest civilian honor, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Bangla band music. The announcement came seven years after his death, moving his wife Ferdous Akhtar Chandana, who expressed her emotions on social media on Thursday evening.

Chandana stated that the award is not only an honor for Ayub Bachchu as an artist but also a state recognition of Bangla band music. In her post, she reflected on Bachchu’s lifelong dedication to music and expressed gratitude to the jury board and all involved in granting the honor. She emphasized that Bachchu’s presence endures across Bangladesh and among Bangla-speaking communities worldwide.

The government announced the names of the 2026 Ekushey Padak recipients for contributions in various fields, including actress Farida Akhter Bobita, Ayub Bachchu, nine distinguished individuals, and one band.

The National Committee to Protect State-Owned Sugar Mills has announced a program to besiege the Ministry of Industries on March 31, demanding the reopening of six state-owned sugar mills that were closed during the Awami League government. The announcement was made at a press conference held at the National Press Club, where the committee also declared protest programs at all closed and operational sugar mills until March 26. The committee issued an ultimatum to the interim government to reopen the mills, end corruption, and modernize the industry.

At the event, central convener Kamruzzaman Firoz presided over the session, while joint convener Nur Rahman Palash read the written statement. Labor leaders and representatives from various federations and organizations, including the National Democratic Workers Federation and the Sugar and Food Industries Corporation, were present. Firoz recalled that in November 2024, a decision had been made to modernize and reopen the six mills following a meeting between national leaders and Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. Although an ordinance was later issued to reopen them, the Finance Ministry withheld funding and suspended sugarcane processing activities.

The committee’s announcement signals renewed pressure on the government to act on earlier commitments to revive the state-owned sugar industry.

A human chain and road blockade were held in Naogaon on Saturday demanding justice for the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi in Dhaka and protesting attacks on demonstrators seeking that justice. The event began at 11:30 a.m. in front of the Shaheed Minar at Muktir Mor under the banner of the Baisommo Birodhi Chhatra Andolon Naogaon district branch. Protesters blocked one side of the main road, disrupting traffic and causing congestion for about 30 minutes before lifting the blockade.

The demonstration was presided over by district convener Arman Hossain, with several organizers including Mehedi Hasan, Rafiul Bari Rajon, and Naim Hasan addressing the gathering. Speakers alleged police bias and condemned attacks on students during earlier protests in Dhaka. They vowed to continue their movement until justice for Hadi’s killing is ensured.

Arman Hossain called for a United Nations–supervised investigation into the killing and demanded exemplary punishment for those involved, along with accountability for those who attacked protesters.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard detained 34 fishermen and seized two illegal artisanal trawling boats along with about 1,000 kilograms of marine fish during operations in the deep-sea area near Cox’s Bazar. The operations were conducted on Thursday, February 5, at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. by the Coast Guard vessel ‘Joy Bangla’, based on secret intelligence. The seized boats contained 12 trawling nets worth approximately 3.1 million taka.

According to Coast Guard media officer Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq, the confiscated trawling equipment was later removed in the presence of the Chattogram marine fisheries inspector. The boats were returned to their owners after written undertakings, while the illegal nets were destroyed. The seized fish were sold at auction, and the proceeds were deposited into the government treasury.

The Coast Guard stated that similar operations will continue in the future to protect the country’s marine resources.

The Bangladesh Navy detained two associates of identified criminal Jamal Uddin, known as 'Socket Jamal', during a special operation in Bhola early Saturday. The suspects, Hasan (44) and Selim Kazi (48), were arrested from a tin house near Borkandaj Jame Mosque in Baliakandi village under Dhania Union of Bhola Sadar upazila. Authorities said the two were preparing to carry out election-related violence. They were later handed over to Bhola Sadar Police Station for legal action.

According to a Navy press release, the operation was based on secret intelligence indicating that the suspects were planning violence on behalf of a political group ahead of the national election. Recovered items included a single-barrel pipe gun, a single-barrel shotgun, two local weapons, nine rounds of 7.62 mm police ammunition, three shotgun cartridges, and one rocket parachute flare. The Navy noted that the recovered bullets are typically used by police, raising questions about how they came into the suspects’ possession.

Bhola Model Police Station’s officer-in-charge confirmed the arrests and said legal proceedings are underway. One of the detainees was hospitalized due to illness.

A joint team of police and army recovered 17 live hand grenades from a jungle in Mulai Beparikandi area of Bilaspur Union under Jazira upazila in Shariatpur early Saturday. Locals first noticed suspicious objects behind the house of a man named Sidom Bepari and informed law enforcement. The grenades were found stored in two buckets, prompting immediate security measures and a cordon around the site. No arrests were made during the operation.

The discovery has caused widespread concern among residents, raising questions about the purpose behind storing such a large number of explosives. Locals fear the grenades might have been stockpiled as part of a plan for major sabotage. Police Inspector (Investigation) Abdus Salam confirmed the recovery and said the matter is under serious investigation to identify those involved.

Authorities have increased patrols and surveillance across Jazira upazila to ensure public safety while investigators work to determine who placed the grenades and for what purpose.

The Chattogram Port Raksha Sangram Parishad has announced an indefinite strike starting Sunday, February 8, 2026, at 8 a.m., protesting the decision to lease the port’s New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to a foreign company and demanding withdrawal of disciplinary actions against workers and employees. The announcement was made by convener Md. Humayun Kabir at a press conference at the Chattogram Press Club. The strike has been supported by the Chattogram Workers-Employees Unity Council (SKOP) and the Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal.

The organization’s four-point demand includes canceling the lease plan with DP World, removing Port Chairman M. Moniruzzaman, reinstating all employees affected by previous disciplinary measures, and ensuring no legal action against labor leaders. The workers had earlier suspended their blockade for two days after discussions with the shipping adviser Brigadier (Retd.) Sakhawat Hossain but resumed protest following new restrictions on 15 workers imposed by the port authority.

The Parishad stated that despite earlier 96-hour work stoppages, the government took no initiative to resolve the crisis, prompting the indefinite strike that could again disrupt operations at Bangladesh’s main seaport.

Two cousins, Rafi Chowdhury, 17, and Atik Chowdhury, 15, were killed in a motorcycle accident in Dhamoirhat upazila of Naogaon. The incident occurred on Friday when they were returning home from a trip to Sapahar with friends. Their motorcycle collided with a pickup truck in front of Sapahar Godownpara, leaving both critically injured. Rafi was declared dead at the upazila health complex, while Atik died on the way to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

According to family sources, Rafi was an HSC first-year student at Sapahar Government Degree College, and Atik was a tenth-grade student at Madhail Al Insaf Islami Academy in Patnitala upazila. Their family has been left devastated by the loss. Khalna Union Parishad Chairman Alhil Mahmud Chowdhury confirmed the incident and said that the funeral prayer and burial would take place on Saturday afternoon at their family graveyard.

The tragic accident has cast grief over the local community as preparations continue for the cousins’ burial.

Residents of Rajair in Madaripur formed a human chain on Saturday morning demanding a review of the death sentence handed to constable Mukul Chokdar by the International Crimes Tribunal. Mukul, aged 32 and son of the late Babul Chokdar, was convicted in connection with the August 5 Ashulia police station case related to the July Movement incident involving the burning of bodies.

During the hour-long protest at Shafia Sharif Bazar, participants chanted slogans and called for a reinvestigation of the verdict. Mukul’s mother, Pinjira Begum, said she rejected the death sentence, claiming her son was punished unfairly because of their poverty. His wife, Sumaiya Begum, alleged that the investigation was incomplete and that higher-ranking officers received lighter sentences despite their greater responsibility.

The demonstrators urged authorities to ensure a fair and transparent review of the case, expressing hope that justice would be served through a proper reinvestigation.

A child named Huzaifa, who was critically injured by gunfire from the Arakan Army along the Teknaf border, has died while undergoing treatment. His mother, Sabekunnahar, confirmed the death, which occurred at 9:50 a.m. on February 7, 2026, at the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital in Dhaka.

Huzaifa was wounded on January 11 when bullets fired from Myanmar’s Rakhine State struck him in the Teccibridge border area of Hwaikyang Union, Teknaf. Locals rescued him and first took him to the MSF hospital in Kutupalong, Ukhiya, before he was referred to Chittagong Medical College Hospital. Following a medical board decision, he was transferred on January 13 to the National Institute of Neurosciences in Dhaka with assistance from the Border Guard Bangladesh and hospital authorities.

The child’s death has cast a shadow of grief across the local community, with mourning continuing in his family and neighborhood.

Professors Mohammad Abdur Rab and Muhammad Mohiuddin Sarkar argue that Bangladesh’s economy, despite its potential, remains constrained by corruption, debt, and policy short-sightedness. They emphasize that remittances and the ready-made garment sector currently drive the economy, but structural weaknesses such as rising non-performing loans, foreign debt, and low tax-to-GDP ratios threaten long-term stability. The authors call for redefining economic strategies after the July revolution, focusing on sustainable development rather than GDP illusions.

They identify corruption as the root of most crises, noting its deterrent effect on foreign investment and its role in capital flight. The article highlights the need for governance reforms, transparency, and accountability in public spending. It also warns that unplanned foreign borrowing and export dependency could destabilize the economy as Bangladesh transitions from LDC status.

The authors propose an “economy of justice,” where fairness, honesty, and balanced resource distribution guide all policies. They urge reforms in taxation, banking, and trade diversification to ensure inclusive growth and long-term economic resilience.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized a truck loaded with a large quantity of Indian cosmetics and medicines worth around Tk 20 million in Madhabpur, Habiganj. The operation was conducted early Friday by the 55 Habiganj Battalion following a tip-off. Acting on secret information, a special BGB team took strategic position near the Madhabpur Muktijoddha Chattar area on the Dhaka–Sylhet highway. Around 4 a.m., a suspicious truck arrived, but the driver fled after noticing the BGB patrol.

Upon searching the abandoned vehicle, BGB members discovered Indian cosmetics and a large quantity of Melanocyl medicine hidden under stones inside sacks. Lieutenant Colonel Tanzilur Rahman, commanding officer of the 55 Habiganj Battalion, confirmed that the truck and illegal goods brought for smuggling were immediately seized. The recovered items have been handed over to the customs authorities.

According to BGB, similar anti-smuggling operations will continue in the area to prevent illegal cross-border trade.

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order removing the 25 percent punitive tariff previously imposed on Indian goods. The order, which takes effect on February 7, was originally introduced as a penalty for India’s purchase of Russian oil, according to the report. The decision follows recent announcements by Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Washington and New Delhi have reached a new trade agreement.

Under the new trade arrangement, tariffs on Indian goods are expected to drop from 50 percent to 18 percent. The executive order also reiterates Trump’s demand that India stop buying oil from Russia and increase its energy imports from the United States. Additionally, it outlines plans for the two countries to expand defense cooperation over the next decade.

India has not confirmed Trump’s claim that it will halt Russian energy purchases. Previously, New Delhi defended its decision to buy Russian oil, describing it as a matter of national interest.