Current and former students and teachers of Jagannath University have begun a sit-in protest at Kakrail intersection to press home their three-point demand. The gathering started around 10 a.m. near the northeastern side of the Kakrail Mosque, with a mass hunger strike planned after Friday prayers. Former Jagannath University student and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shahin Ahmed Khan urged the interim government to promptly accept the demands. Maksudur Rahman, former VP of the Jagannath University Chhatra Dal, stated that these are longstanding and legitimate demands.

The government has restructured a committee to oversee the proper management of Qurbani-related matters, appointing Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin as its convener. The committee includes advisers for home, industry, roads, environment, local government, livestock, religion, and information, among others. Key responsibilities include ensuring proper collection and preservation of animal hides, maintaining an adequate supply of salt, and guaranteeing fair pricing. The committee will also issue guidelines for efficient waste management during Eid, humane animal transportation, and protection of funds generated from hide sales for the benefit of religious institutions.

As of now, 47,420 pilgrims from Bangladesh have arrived in Saudi Arabia for Hajj. Among them, 4,583 traveled under government arrangements, and 42,837 under private management, across 119 flights. A total of 86,678 visas have been issued. Sadly, seven pilgrims—six men and one woman—have passed away during the pilgrimage so far.

ABM Rowshan Kabir reported that shortly after takeoff from Cox’s Bazar Airport, one of the aircraft’s rear wheels fell off. An engineering team was stationed near the runway at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport as the flight was declared an emergency. Experts confirmed the aircraft could land safely even with one rear wheel missing. The plane later made an emergency landing in Dhaka without incident. The runway was temporarily closed, with ambulances and fire service vehicles on standby.

From 10 AM Friday, Jagannath University teachers and students began gathering at the northeast corner of Kakrail Mosque, preparing for a mass hunger strike following Friday prayers. A student said, “We’ve been protesting for three days with valid demands, but the government has yet to respond. Instead, we’ve faced police brutality. We won’t leave the streets until our demands are met.” Professor Dr. M. Belal Uddin stated, “We’re demanding an annual budget of 306 crore taka for our university—is that too much? Supporting education only strengthens the state.” He also noted they requested only 3,000 taka in stipends per student, which would benefit even the most remote villages.

Students surrounded Shahbagh Police Station demanding justice for the murder of Chhatra Dal leader Shahriar Alam Samya. They issued a 48-hour ultimatum to arrest all perpetrators. So far, three individuals—Tamim Hawlader (30), Samrat Mallik (28), and Palash Sardar (30)—have been arrested and sent to jail. Protests and demonstrations have continued for the past three days, led by Chhatra Dal and fellow students.

Farzana Ahmed Nipa recounted how a domestic dispute over loan repayments led her to contact a friend in Kolkata who promised a high-paying parlor job. She decided to cross the border illegally via Comilla but was caught upon arrival in Tripura and sent to Gomati District Jail the next day. “There are at least 10 Bangladeshi women imprisoned there,” she said. “Traffickers often send young girls to states like Maharashtra and Kolkata, sometimes selling them into brothels under the guise of employment.” Nipa added, “I never imagined I’d be rescued from that hell. I had lost hope of ever seeing my husband and daughter again.”

Jagannath University professor Rais Uddin stated that students have been protesting under the open sky for three days, demanding their rights, yet the government has made no effort to resolve the issue. “This could have been resolved on the first day if the authorities had the will,” he said. “Jagannath University is oppressed and deprived. We’ve reached a point of no return. If our demands are not met, Kakrail will become a new center for realizing public demands.” He warned that if the government established through the people’s blood resorts to threats, they will resist. Following earlier announcements, teachers and students are set to begin a mass hunger strike after Friday prayers.

Legal expert Tuhin Malik wrote, “The July Declaration aims to dismantle the fascist state structure, which is why political parties, civil-military bureaucracies, and elite civil society members oppose any change.”

He questioned, “Why wasn’t the declaration issued despite the government’s formation post-August 5, under the pretext of constitutional continuity?” Malik asserted that the draft of the July Declaration includes provisions to amend or even annul the 1972 Constitution if necessary — a key reason for elite resistance to change.

Adviser Mahfuz Alam issued a statement saying he has no official link to the JnU movement, but as a stakeholder in the broader uprising, he was interested in resolving the situation. He explained that the “bottle incident” left him frustrated and disheartened.

“I vented my frustration in front of the teachers, who were also shocked by the events. Due to consistent online threats from a particular group, I assumed they were behind it,” Mahfuz said. “If my frustration hurt anyone, I sincerely apologize.” He added that he supports the just movement and has advised the DMP to avoid any sabotage.

Following a request from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), a Dhaka court has ordered the seizure of a 10-story building and land in Uttara registered under the name of Mohammad Solaiman, father-in-law of former DB chief Harun-or-Rashid. Five of Solaiman’s bank accounts have also been frozen.

Additionally, two bank accounts belonging to Harun’s brother ABM Shahriar have been blocked. Earlier, on February 19, the court ordered the seizure of 130 bighas of land and the freezing of 21 bank accounts under their names, along with shares in three companies.

Bangladesh Bank Deputy Governor Dr. Habibur Rahman has said the central bank will intervene if the USD exchange rate increases excessively. “We’ve taken preemptive measures to prevent banks from inflating the rate. Any manipulation will be met with strict action,” he warned.

Economist Anisuzzaman Chowdhury added, “Economic reform doesn’t require drastic changes. Countries like Japan turned their economies around in just 15 years.” He emphasized the importance of coordinated policy implementation. Notably, since allowing market-based dollar pricing two days ago, the market has remained stable with most banks trading around BDT 122 per dollar.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Apple CEO Tim Cook not to set up manufacturing plants in India. Trump reportedly told Cook, “I don’t want you to build factories in India,” citing concerns over U.S. interests and trade imbalances.

He argued that India is one of the highest tariff-imposing countries in the world, making it a difficult market for American products. Trump added, “India can take care of itself. You can build in India if you want to take care of them. But I don’t want you to build there.”

Trump also criticized Apple's past investments in China, saying the U.S. tolerated it for years, but further offshoring—especially to India—is not something he supports.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has said that there will be no real progress on the Ukraine conflict unless he meets Russian President Vladimir Putin face-to-face. Trump had expressed interest in traveling to Turkey for direct talks with Putin as part of his initiative to end the war in Ukraine.

However, Putin did not visit Turkey on Thursday, and Trump also canceled his trip. Prior to this, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had publicly invited Putin to meet in Turkey on the same day.

Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman has highlighted the crucial role of cold storage chains in strengthening the country’s agricultural economy and ensuring food security. Speaking at an event, he noted that cold storage operators are preserving mango pulp, tomatoes, carrots, meat, dates, and other perishable goods, which significantly supports the sector. He also revealed that a Korean company has shown interest in storing onions. Other speakers emphasized the importance of improving cold chain infrastructure to maintain consistent supply and reduce waste of perishable products.