Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Mazumdar confirmed that Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus and UN Secretary-General António Guterres will join 100,000 Rohingya refugees for an Iftar meal in Cox’s Bazar this Friday.

The meal will include traditional items such as chickpeas, puffed rice, onion fritters, jilapi, beguni, morichya, and sharbat. The UN Secretary-General is visiting Bangladesh on a four-day tour, following an official invitation handed over by envoy Khalilur Rahman in New York on February 7.

A Dhaka court has sentenced three individuals to life imprisonment for the gang rape of a teenage girl in Kamrangirchar. Additionally, two minors have been given the maximum punishment of 10 years in prison.

The convicts—Mohan, Sabbir, and Russell—were also fined BDT 100,000 each. Failure to pay will result in an additional year of imprisonment. The two minors were fined the same amount, with a similar penalty for non-payment.

The crime occurred on June 17, 2020, when the 13-year-old victim was assaulted by the perpetrators.

The condition of the 8-year-old rape survivor in Magura has worsened, according to Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam. The child, who was visiting her sister’s home when the assault occurred, is undergoing treatment at the CMH hospital. Despite initial signs of improvement, her condition began deteriorating again yesterday. Medical teams are making every effort to stabilize her health.

According to the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, individuals under the age of 15 will not be allowed to perform Hajj this year. The age will be determined based on the date of birth mentioned in the pilgrim’s passport. Both government-registered and private Hajj agencies, as well as banks involved in Hajj-related transactions, must strictly follow this directive. Those above 15 years must complete pre-registration and official registration to be eligible for Hajj. There will be no exceptions for those under 15.

Police used water cannons and batons to disperse protesting teachers who were marching towards the Chief Adviser’s residence, demanding nationalization of their schools after being excluded from the latest MPO (Monthly Pay Order) enrollment phase. The confrontation, which took place on Wednesday afternoon, left at least five teachers injured. Earlier, the police attempted to negotiate with the teachers, suggesting that only a small delegation proceed to the residence. However, the protesters refused and continued their march, leading to the clash.

Intern doctors at various hospitals, including Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), have launched a strike demanding five key points, leading to the suspension of outpatient services. Healthcare services at major hospitals like Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital have also been affected, leaving low-income patients in distress. Under the banner of “Doctors and Medical Students of All Levels,” the protesters staged day-long demonstrations before announcing their work stoppage at a press conference. The strike was officially declared by intern doctor Nadim Hossain.

The High Court has revoked its earlier directive to appoint overseers for 169 companies under Beximco Group, owned by Salman F Rahman. This ruling allows the prominent industrial conglomerate to manage its operations independently. Barrister Ruhul Kuddus, legal representative of Bangladesh Bank, confirmed the cancellation of the oversight appointment. However, regulatory bodies have been instructed to continue monitoring the group’s activities.

The Election Commission (EC) has invited the heads of 19 foreign missions in Dhaka for a high-level briefing on March 17 at 11 AM, chaired by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). Seven officials from the EC Secretariat have been assigned to oversee the reception of the distinguished guests. The invited countries include Afghanistan, Algeria, Brunei Darussalam, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.

In a landmark ruling, the High Court has declared that only individuals holding MBBS or BDS degrees can use the title “Doctor” before their names. However, those who have used the title without these qualifications up to this point will not face any legal action. Starting Thursday, anyone violating this ruling by misusing the title will be subject to legal consequences. Welcoming the verdict, protesting medical professionals have urged the authorities to publish a gazette notification swiftly. They have also vowed to continue their movement until all their demands are met.

Renowned industrialist and former advisor to Bangladesh’s caretaker government, Syed Manzur Elahi, has passed away.

Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor, expressed deep sorrow, calling him a “visionary entrepreneur and a patriot.” Elahi played a significant role in advancing Bangladesh’s leather industry and served as an advisor in the 1996 and 2001 caretaker governments.

Dr. Yunus remarked, “His contributions to Bangladesh’s business sector were immense. He was a highly respected entrepreneur, and his passing is a great loss for the country.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Chad and Bangladesh topped the list of the world’s most polluted countries in 2024. Their average pollution levels were more than 15 times higher than WHO’s air quality guidelines.

IQAir, a global air quality monitoring agency, reported that only seven countries met WHO’s air quality standards: Australia, New Zealand, the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Estonia, and Iceland. The battle against pollution is expected to become more challenging, especially after the U.S. discontinued its global air quality monitoring initiative.

Garment workers blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in protest after factory authorities refused to acknowledge the death of one of their employees in a road accident.

According to workers, Jannatul Ferdous Tamanna (32) requested leave on Tuesday night after her child fell ill. The factory authorities denied her leave and confiscated her ID card, forcing her to leave without official permission. The next morning, when she returned, she was denied entry due to the missing ID. While heading home, she was fatally struck by a truck.

Following the accident, the factory disowned her as an employee, sparking outrage among workers who launched a protest demanding justice.

Jagannath University students staged a protest demanding the arrest of Lucky Akter, a prominent figure of the Ganajagaran Mancha, along with other alleged fascist collaborators, in response to an attack on police. They declared her “unwanted” on campus and issued a 24-hour ultimatum for her arrest.

During the demonstration, students chanted slogans such as: “One, two, three, four—Shahbagh no more!”, “Lucky in law—Hasina, it’s you!”, “My brother is in the grave, why is the killer free?”, “No place for Shahbagh in my Golden Bengal!”, “Justice, not Shahbagh!”, and “Spread the news across Bengal—bury Shahbagh!”.

All academic activities of medical and dental students across the country will remain suspended today as doctors stage a grand rally to press for their five-point demand. Public and private hospitals will suspend services, except for critical units such as ICU, CCU, casualty services, admission units, and labor wards, which will remain operational on humanitarian grounds.

The five demands include:
1. Only MBBS/BDS degree holders should be allowed to use the title “doctor.”
2. All ongoing public health-related petitions in court must be resolved.
3. Reform the Medical Assistant Course curriculum and shut down substandard Medical Assistant Training Schools (MATS).
4. Prohibit private medical practice by unregistered individuals.
5. Fill vacant doctor positions and increase the BCS (Bangladesh Civil Service) age limit to 34.
6. Enact a law for doctors’ protection and establish a structured salary framework for private-sector physicians.

Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Munir Akram, has accused Afghanistan-based militant groups of operating against Pakistan, posing a severe security threat. While further details were not disclosed, the statement underscores rising tensions between the two neighboring countries over cross-border militant activities.