Costa Rica has announced it will offer a temporary place for Indian immigrants being deported from the United States. Around 200 immigrants from the Middle East and India will be relocated there. Panama and Guatemala had previously taken similar steps. Costa Rica stated that they are willing to accommodate the illegal immigrants being deported by the U.S., with the country’s president’s office making the official announcement. Temporary camps will be set up for them, but it has not yet been confirmed when they will return to their home countries.

At the end of the district commissioners’ conference, Advisor Syeda Rizwana Hasan announced that the preliminary report for the Tista Master Plan is expected to be submitted between October and December. The responsible organization, Power China, will present the final master plan to the government by December 2026. She mentioned that currently, there is no master plan in place and questioned how the implementation will proceed. The Advisor explained, “A Chinese group had submitted a plan that was neither feasible nor sustainable. After discussions with them, it was decided to rework the plan.” This comes after the collapse of hopes for a Tista agreement between Bangladesh and former leaders Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi.

The Bangladesh government has introduced a new passport system, abolishing the police verification process. Under the updated rules, passports will be issued based on online-verified National ID (NID) data for adults and online-verified birth registration details for minors and expatriates. For passport reissuance, if there are changes to essential information, the data from the National ID will be used. This change, announced by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, aims to simplify the process and ensure quicker passport delivery without delays caused by police verification.

A study found that 98.7% of Bangladeshi garment workers are not enrolled in the Universal Pension Scheme (UPS) due to financial constraints and lack of awareness. Many workers struggle with the high contribution requirements and digital application process. Fear of job loss, layoffs, and workplace hazards also deter participation. The study recommends lowering contributions, allowing job mobility, and offering financial support. It also suggests increasing awareness and ensuring employer participation to improve social security for workers.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) is set to undergo a name change and restructuring, according to Home Affairs Adviser Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury. Speaking after a law and order meeting at the Secretariat, he stated that discussions are ongoing, and the new name may be finalized in the next meeting. Established in 2004 to combat crime and militancy, RAB has faced allegations of human rights violations, leading to U.S. sanctions. A recent report found RAB linked to 172 out of 400 analyzed enforced disappearance cases.

Internal conflicts among Republicans in the U.S. House and Senate are escalating over Trump’s two key legislative agendas, with lawmakers employing conflicting strategies to push them forward.

The House Budget Committee has advanced a massive spending bill incorporating various Trump-backed initiatives, following weeks of internal disputes. The bill is set for a vote next week, though opposition from moderates and conservatives could hinder its passage.

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans have also cleared their own proposal through the Budget Committee, with a vote expected this week. Both chambers are now in a race to pass their respective bills, while House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is attempting to mediate a compromise.

Police in Tongibari, Munshiganj, arrested a woman named Latifa Begum (42) with 97 bottles of Indian Phensedyl on Monday night.

According to Officer-in-Charge Mohibul Islam, law enforcement raided the Abdullahpur Paikpara area at around 3 AM, acting on a tip-off. The bottles were recovered from a wardrobe in Latifa’s house.

She will be presented in court under narcotics charges.

Expressing sympathy for protesting assistant teachers, Primary and Mass Education Adviser Professor Bidhan Ranjan Roy stated that the government’s teacher recruitment process adhered to all legal procedures.

During a briefing on Tuesday, he acknowledged the teachers’ dissatisfaction with the court ruling and confirmed that an appeal had been filed. He explained that the ministry followed the recommendations of the Law and Public Administration ministries before announcing the results.

Due to the ongoing legal proceedings, the administration currently has no further actions to take.

After three days in captivity, 25 abducted workers were rescued in Lama, Bandarban, by law enforcement agencies. They were found in the Baishari Jhir area near the Naikhongchhari border.

According to security forces, the kidnappers fled the scene, leaving the hostages behind during the rescue operation. Local sources reported that armed militants raided six rubber plantations on February 15 and abducted the workers, demanding a ransom of 100,000 BDT per person.

Sources suggest the hostages were released after the ransom was paid.

On Monday, an anti-settlement watchdog reported that Israel has issued tenders for the construction of approximately 1,000 new settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The organization stated that the new settlements will increase the population of the Efrat settlement by 40%, negatively impacting the development of nearby Bethlehem. Israel has occupied the West Bank, along with Gaza and East Jerusalem, since the 1967 Middle East War. Palestinians claim these areas for their future state and view settlement expansion as a major obstacle to peace.

Despite international criticism, the Trump administration previously expressed support for Israeli settlement construction.

Keith Kellogg, a special envoy for former U.S. President Donald Trump, stated that no peace deal would be imposed on Kyiv. Speaking at a press conference at NATO headquarters, he said discussions about Washington’s commitment to European peacekeeping efforts would take place later.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Saudi Arabia today to discuss the Ukraine war and bilateral relations. Kellogg also announced that he would visit Kyiv this week to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

European leaders are pushing for broader participation in Ukraine peace talks, but the U.S. envoy clarified that not all parties could be included.

On Saturday, a U.S. citizen in Florida shot and injured two Israeli tourists, mistakenly identifying them as Palestinians. The suspect, Mordechai Brafman, has been arrested, and a case was filed against him on Sunday.

According to police reports, Brafman admitted that while driving his truck in Miami Beach, he fired at the two men, believing them to be Palestinians and intending to kill them. However, they survived. Authorities later confirmed that the victims were Israeli tourists, not Palestinians.

A passenger bus in Bolivia plunged 800 meters down a mountainous road, killing 31 people. Reuters reported that the accident occurred when the driver lost control. At least 12-14 people, including four children, were injured, with several in critical condition. Authorities suspect that high speed may have been a factor.

Residents of Ramgati, Laxmipur, have accused the police of failing to arrest a suspect in an attempted murder case. Despite the suspect, Mehraj, openly roaming in the area, the police claim he is in hiding. The victim, Zillur Rahman, was severely injured in an attack led by Mehraj and later filed an attempted murder case. Although Mehraj has not obtained bail, the police have not arrested him.

Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, Abdul Hafiz, has stated that military operations in the Chittagong Hill Tracts will continue until the Kuki-Chin National Front is completely eradicated. Speaking at a press conference after a district commissioner conference, he highlighted that the armed group’s violence has halted tourism in several regions, causing job losses among local youth and increasing their vulnerability to militancy. He confirmed that seven soldiers have been killed in recent operations and vowed to continue the crackdown.