Foreign Affairs Advisor Md. Touhid Hossain stated that Bangladesh has lodged a formal protest with India over the activities of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, citing them as provocative. In response to a question, he confirmed that the Foreign Ministry had submitted a diplomatic note to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka but had yet to receive a reply. He described Hasina’s remarks as highly aggressive and offensive to the younger generation. Dhaka has urged New Delhi to restrain Hasina from making such statements, and officials are closely monitoring India’s response. Hossain also remarked that the controversial Adani deal was not in Bangladesh’s best interests and announced that the Prime Minister’s Chief Advisor would soon undertake an official visit to the UAE to discuss various bilateral issues, including visa policies.

The interim government has set a target to bring inflation down to 8% by June of the current fiscal year. This decision was made in a meeting chaired by the Chief Adviser on Wednesday. The meeting also discussed the revised budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year. The previous government allegedly did not present the real picture of inflation. Although the last finance minister had set a target of 6.5% inflation, post-government collapse instability led the economic adviser to revise the target to 7%. Currently, inflation stands at 9.94%. Additionally, the GDP growth target for 2024-25 was initially set at 6.8% but has now been revised down to 5.25% by the interim government. The revenue collection target has also been reduced from BDT 6.8 trillion to BDT 4.635 trillion.

Rezaul Islam, a Muslim M.Tech student from West Bengal, faced religious harassment on a train while returning from Bishwa Ijtema in Bangladesh. A group of passengers at Ranaghat Station taunted him over his faith, falsely accused him of being Bangladeshi, and expressed hatred toward Bangladesh, claiming that people like him were taking over Kolkata. He was physically assaulted, had his cap knocked off, and was threatened to be thrown off the train. He later filed an FIR with Kolkata Police.

At Rajshahi University, protesting students removed nameplates of four residential halls named after Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s family and assigned new names. The protest began at Shaheed Shamsuzzoha Square and escalated as students destroyed plaques using rods and hammers. They renamed Bangabandhu Hall to “Bijoy-24”, Kamaruzzaman Hall to “Shaheed Ali Raihan Hall”, Sheikh Hasina Hall to “Fatima Al-Fihriya Hall”, and Fazilatunnesa Hall to “Nawab Faizun Nesa Chowdhurani Hall”. Protesters denounced the government, calling it a fight against fascism and injustice.

In a meeting at the Jamuna State Guesthouse in Dhaka with Canadian High Commissioner Ajit Singh, Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus requested assistance in recovering funds that had been illicitly sent abroad. He accused Sheikh Hasina and her associates of stealing billions of dollars from the people, some of which were allegedly sent to Canada. The High Commissioner assured cooperation and praised Bangladesh’s reform initiatives, asking how they could assist further. He also mentioned that a Canadian minister would soon visit Bangladesh, and that Canada is interested in expanding business and investment ties with the country. The Chief Adviser suggested the opening of a Canadian visa office in Bangladesh, considering the interests of students.

Two people were killed in Brahmanbaria’s Sarail upazila due to a long-standing property dispute. On February 4, in Bishutara village, Azad Mia (55) was attacked and killed by rivals led by Insan Mia. In retaliation, supporters of Azad Mia killed Insan’s associate, Amanat Mia (60), with a spear. Both victims were rushed to the hospital, where they were declared dead. Police have launched an investigation, and the situation is under control.

Social media posts in India falsely labeled footage of student clashes in Bangladesh as a ‘Hindu killing’. AFP fact-checking revealed no evidence of Hindu students’ deaths in the violence. The clashes, involving students from Dhaka’s colleges, were unrelated to religious tensions. The incident stemmed from a protest after the death of a student due to hospital negligence. Authorities confirmed that the violence was not religiously motivated, and no Hindu students were targeted or injured in the conflict.

Fears of a global trade war emerged after Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, causing the rupee to drop by 67 paise to 87.29. As investors sought safe-haven assets, the US dollar strengthened, weakening Asian currencies. Last week, India’s foreign exchange reserves faced a slight crisis, declining by $1.888 billion to $623.983 billion. The Indian stock market also saw a downturn, with the Sensex losing 575 points and the Nifty falling by 206 points.

Japan will provide a $5.45 million grant to help Bangladesh monitor air pollution. Representatives from both governments signed an agreement, with Bangladesh’s ERD Secretary, Japanese Ambassador Saida Shinichi, and JICA’s Chief Representative Ichiguchi Tomohide as signatories. The Environment Ministry will implement the project from March 2025 to June 2028. It aims to measure and analyze air pollution, particularly vehicle emissions. Continuous air monitoring stations will be set up in Dhaka and Chattogram to track pollution levels.

According to Bangladesh Bank, remittances from expatriates amounted to $2.18523 billion in January. Due to the blockade, internet shutdown, and bank closures, remittances declined in July, the month of the mass uprising. However, after the victory of the uprising, expatriates began sending more remittances. • August: $2.22415 billion • September: $2.40479 billion • October: $2.39508 billion • November: $2.63878 billion Following this trend, January saw a significant inflow of remittances. The largest share of these funds was received by private banks.

Police arrested seven robbers linked to an inter-district gang after a robbery in Bogura Sadar on January 28. The robbers, who tied up the family and looted goods and 50,000 taka, left behind a pair of shoes and a cloth bag, which led to their identification. During the operation, police recovered several pieces of gold jewelry, rings, and 3,500 taka in cash. The robbers were arrested early on February 2 after a covert investigation based on the clues.

Japan’s Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ikouina Akiko, has expressed interest in advancing and strengthening bilateral relations with Bangladesh during a meeting with the Chief Adviser. During the discussion, she reaffirmed Japan’s support for the interim government and emphasized enhancing bilateral relations to boost trade and development cooperation. The trade volume between the two countries stands at approximately four billion US dollars, with Japan being one of Bangladesh’s top five export destinations. She also invited the Chief Adviser to attend the Future of Asia conference in Tokyo in May and the Osaka Expo 2025.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has sent a letter to Khaleda Zia, extending greetings and wishing her good health. In the letter, the Pakistani Prime Minister praises Khaleda Zia as a towering figure in Bangladesh’s political landscape, highlighting her political and illustrious life. He reassures that Pakistan, the BNP chairperson, her family, party, and supporters stand with her. The letter was sent from the Pakistan Embassy to the BNP chairperson’s office on the afternoon of February 2.

The injured from the July uprising in Feni have protested on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, demanding rehabilitation, the cancellation of the category system, and improved medical treatment in a timely manner. Nahid, who was injured in the uprising, stated, “Our fighters are martyred due to the lack of advanced treatment, and we seek recognition from the government.” After the administration promised discussions, the injured students moved from the road after about an hour of blockage. They threatened to block the railway as well if their demands are not met. The injured Azim described it as frustrating, saying, “We do not want to cause public suffering, but we have to take to the streets for our treatment.”

China has pledged to take countermeasures against the 10% tariff imposed by the Trump administration on Chinese imports but has not escalated tensions immediately. Unlike the confrontational approach seen during Trump’s first term, Beijing’s response remains measured. On Sunday, China condemned the US move while signaling openness to negotiations to prevent further deterioration of trade relations. The measured stance suggests China aims to balance retaliation with diplomacy, keeping the possibility of resolution through talks or a challenge in the WTO.