Students staging a sit-in at Dhaka University’s Raju Sculpture have declared Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her party Awami League, and its allies as fascist, releasing a list of their ministers, advisers, and MPs. They demand their arrest and sentencing from 7 to 14 years, along with a ban on their electoral participation. The protest, which began on February 13, has shifted to an indefinite sit-in. Protesters also presented a five-point demand, including banning the Awami League and confiscating its assets.

A pedestrian, Md. Akhtar Hossain (52), was killed after being struck by a falling brick from an under-construction building in Tejgaon, Dhaka. The incident occurred around 6 PM on Saturday in the Madhya Kunipara area under the Tejgaon Industrial Police Station. Akhtar Hossain, a father of two, was on his way to offer Maghrib prayers when a brick fell from the fifth-floor rooftop of the building during rainfall, causing severe head injuries. He was first taken to Samorita Hospital and later transferred to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital at around 8 PM, where doctors declared him dead.

Advisor Asif Nazrul is deeply missing his writing days. In a long Facebook post, he expressed, “My advisor life has taken away my sleep, left me disheartened, and shaken my trust in people to some extent.” He further wrote, “At the end of January last year, my novel Ami Abu Bakr was published. It went into ten reprints within a month. I wrote it with great courage—it highlights the brutal oppression faced by students in universities under the pretext of Jamaat-Shibir-Razakar labels.” Many advised him to be cautious after the book’s release. Later, as July arrived with changes and responsibilities, he wrote another book, Sheikh Hasinar Antimkal (The Final Days of Sheikh Hasina). He shared the good news that the second edition of this book has already sold out.

At the beginning of January, director Alok Hasan announced a new film titled Togor, featuring Ador Azad and actress Dighi. However, recent updates reveal that Dighi has been dropped from the project. In the motion poster, actress Puja Cherry has replaced her. Addressing the change, the director stated that he had multiple reasons for replacing Dighi but chose not to disclose them. He added that Puja Cherry is a perfect fit for the role. Cherry mentioned that she initially declined the offer but later agreed after the director convinced her.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is set to auction $10 billion through a three-year currency swap to address the banking sector’s liquidity crisis. This initiative, starting February 28, aims to inject approximately 870 billion rupees into the system. Analysts suggest it may also signal a shift in RBI’s forex policy. Despite a recent repo rate cut, cash shortages persist. The RBI has already infused 3.6 trillion rupees into banks, but further measures are needed as the liquidity deficit reaches 1.7 trillion rupees.

At a seminar hosted by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry on Saturday, top business leaders and economists emphasized the need to restore investor confidence by increasing private sector credit flow to double-digit levels. They also called for enhanced oversight to reduce non-performing loans, ensure financial sector governance, and lower lending interest rates. Additionally, they urged stricter market controls to curb inflation. Md. Abdur Rahim Khan, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, pointed out that collecting only $40 billion in revenue from a $500 billion economy is insufficient. He suggested that proper implementation of logistics policies and trade facilitation could reduce overall trade costs by 10–15%.

Attorney General Mohammad Asaduzzaman urged judges to reconsider judgments based solely on pre-August 5th theories. Referring to the case of martyr Mughda, he stated that post-mortem could not be conducted as no hospital agreed to accept the body. He added that if judges base their decisions on this information, it would not support the accusation of murder in a post-mortem report. He respectfully called on the judiciary to adopt progressive interpretations of the law, emphasizing that judgments should not be based on outdated notions. “A new era of history is upon us,” he stated, highlighting the difference between past and present policing, and stressing the need to dismantle all syndicates. The Attorney General also urged strong measures to suppress any revolutionary forces.

A new organization named “July 24 Martyrs’ Family” has emerged, with its leaders calling for justice for those who gave their lives for the country’s independence. They criticized the lack of justice for the victims of the 1971 genocide, despite the nation’s freedom being built on their blood. The group has demanded swift trials for genocide before any elections are held. Expressing disappointment in the interim government, they stated that many helmeted police officers have yet to be arrested. The group also accused one faction of forming a political party to seize power, while another is desperate to hold elections as quickly as possible. The mother of a martyr revealed that seven months have passed since her son was burned alive, yet the killers have not been brought to justice.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin has declared that incidents of voter suppression and violence at polling stations will no longer be tolerated. Seeking the nation’s support for a fair election, he urged citizens to play an active role in ensuring their voting rights. Speaking at an annual sports event, he emphasized the need for a nationwide movement to establish free and fair elections. He also encouraged voters to safeguard polling stations as if they were their own homes. Expressing hope for an election filled with the spirit of festivity, much like Eid celebrations, he wished for capable and deserving candidates to be elected.

Police have solved the mystery behind the murder of Rajib Talukder (38) in Netrakona. According to the police, Rajib had repeatedly raped the wife of his friend, Deep Bhowmik (35). Seeking revenge, Deep hacked him to death. On Saturday evening, Deep confessed to the crime before the court under Section 164. Police recovered Rajib’s bloodied body on Friday near the road adjacent to Gobindapur Government Primary School. Shortly afterward, Deep was detained on suspicion of involvement. Later, Rajib’s wife, Mina Rani Talukder, filed a case, in which Deep was officially shown as arrested.

Adviser Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr. M Sakhawat Hossain stated that 17 years of chaos, mismanagement, and disorder cannot be undone in just 15 months. He emphasized that the previous government left the state system in disarray before fleeing, and restoring order will take time. He assured that efforts are being made to improve law and order. With Ramadan approaching, he urged everyone to cooperate with the administration in breaking the price syndicate, stating that commodity prices are now largely under control. During his visit, he listened to local grievances and remarked that Nijhum Dwip has significant potential to boost the country’s tourism sector.

After a four-day shutdown, partial power generation has resumed at Dinajpur’s Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant. Among the three units of the 525 MW coal-based plant, Unit 1, with a capacity of 125 MW, was restarted at 5:29 PM on Saturday after resolving mechanical issues. Chief Engineer Md. Abu Bakkar Siddique expressed optimism that Unit 3, which has a capacity of 275 MW, could also be operational within the next couple of days.

Breaking a 90-year-old tradition, the Assam government under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has removed the two-hour break for Friday prayers during state assembly sessions. Muslim legislators in Assam were denied the usual Friday prayer break for the first time. The chief minister justified the move, stating that work should take precedence over tradition. This practice was introduced in 1937 by Syed Saadulla of the Muslim League. Earlier, the state government formed a seven-member team to assess the need for the break. AIUDF legislator Rafiqul Islam condemned the decision, calling it an injustice imposed by the majority on the minority. Meanwhile, the Congress party has demanded designated prayer spaces nearby.

Police in Birampur, Dinajpur, arrested eight gamblers during a raid at Shantimor Bazar. Acting on a tip-off, officers from Birampur Police Station conducted the operation early in the morning and seized gambling equipment. The arrested individuals are identified as Ashraful, Mizanur, Zakir, Zahidul, Liton, Faruq, Tobarak, and Raju Ahmed. Officer-in-Charge Momtazul Haque stated that cases have been filed against them under the Gambling Act, and they were presented before the Dinajpur court on Saturday.

A human trafficking gang lured Arif Hossain (45) from Kaliganj with the promise of a job in Italy, only to trap him in Myanmar and subject him to brutal torture. The gang extorted Tk 1 million in ransom in multiple phases but still refused to release him. The case was uncovered by Officer-in-Charge Alauddin’s team, leading to the arrest of four members of the gang, including a Rohingya national, from Cox’s Bazar. The victim had sought assistance from local agents to travel abroad, but they turned out to be traffickers. Law enforcement tracked the phone numbers used for ransom demands and apprehended the criminals. The victim remains in Myanmar, and efforts are ongoing to rescue him, police confirmed.