The concluding prayer of the second phase of the first part of the Shura-e-Nizam Ijtema will take place today (Wednesday) at 12 PM, led by Maulana Zubair Ahmed. Today’s teachings were delivered by India’s Maulana Jamal, while Maulana Ibrahim Deol spoke with senior scholars, and Maulana Farid addressed students. After Zuhr prayer, Maulana Ismail delivered a sermon, followed by Maulana Zuhairul Hasan after Asr prayer. Later, dowry-free marriages were conducted. Tomorrow, sermons will be given by Maulana Faruq and Abdur Rahman.

There are allegations of appointing a favored individual as the Managing Director (MD) of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL). Concerned parties claim that discrimination is being exercised to benefit certain individuals or groups. According to DMTCL’s articles, the chairman is not involved in the appointment process. Some metro rail officials are dissatisfied with the mandatory requirement for the candidate to be an engineer. Allegations suggest that despite lacking the necessary qualifications, a specific candidate was awarded higher marks by the appointment recommendation committee. The advisor to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges stated that the 2017 amendment has been repealed, and only individuals with metro rail experience will be appointed as MD.

During a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, recommendations were made to make the Foreign Ministry more efficient. In the first session, three advisors discussed internal matters of the ministry with Advisor Md. Touhid Hossain. The five-member committee, formed to assess the government’s response to the July coup, includes Advisor Touhid Hossain, Adilur Rahman Khan, Mahfuz Alam, the Foreign Secretary, and a representative of the Chief Advisor.

At 12:15 AM today, Jahangirnagar University (JU) administration decided to abolish the quota for employees’ dependents following student protests. Earlier, university staff and students staged counter-protests over the quota issue. The Vice-Chancellor stated that after discussions with all stakeholders, the central admission committee was assigned to review the matter. In an emergency meeting, the committee decided to cancel the quota.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Special Judge’s Court has granted permission for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to open the lockers of current and former Bangladesh Bank officials in the presence of a magistrate. The ACC Director filed a petition seeking permission to open the sealed safe deposits after discovering them during a search of the safe deposit vault of a former deputy governor, related to an ongoing investigation. He stated that these lockers might contain unprotected assets. The court later approved the request.

The metro rail has generated revenue of 24.4 billion BDT from ticket sales during the 2023-2024 fiscal year, with an additional 1.8 billion BDT expected next year. Last Monday, a record 282,000 passengers traveled on the metro rail. The Agargaon section was launched on December 8, 2022, followed by the Motijheel section in October of the next year, and the Kamalapur section is set to open in June, completing the entire project. Initially, the metro operated 10 trips per day, but now it runs 200 trips daily. Once extended from Diabari to Tongi, the expected daily ridership will reach 500,000, eliminating the need for government subsidies.

On the afternoon of February 4, a violent clash broke out between two groups in the Baipail area of Ashulia over control of the jhut (textile waste) business. Local weapons were seen at the scene, and multiple gunshots were fired. Upon receiving the news, police arrived and arrested six individuals. Harun Mondal had been running the jhut business at Prudent Fashion Limited, but after the government changed, a man named Alamgir attempted to take control. This led to the conflict. Police recovered 35 local weapons from the site.

The Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) has permanently expelled 8 students and imposed various disciplinary actions on 33 others, while issuing warnings to 27 students. The decision came after an administrative investigation found them guilty of violating university regulations based on student complaints. Twelve students have been suspended for six semesters, while six others face two-semester suspensions. However, the expulsion orders remain conditional—if they commit further offenses, the punishments will be enforced. Additionally, seven students have been expelled from the dormitories.

The family of Shaikh Ashhabul Yamin, the first martyr of the anti-discrimination student movement who was shot by police in Savar, obstructed efforts to exhume his body for an autopsy. As a result, the magistrate suspended the exhumation process. After failing to convince the parents, they formally objected to the exhumation, citing Yamin’s status as a martyr. The magistrate acknowledged their stance and stated that any further decision would be taken by the court.

The reports of various sectoral reform commissions formed by the interim government will be published on February 8, according to advisor Asif Nazrul. He stated that the heads of the reform commissions are currently meeting with the Chief Advisor at the state guesthouse Jamuna. The commissions will present recommendations in three categories—immediate, mid-term, and post-election. These reports will then be shared with all political parties and stakeholders in the mass uprising. Following this, the first official meeting of the National Consensus Commission will take place based on mutual agreements. The advisor expects this process to begin in mid-February.

The Ministry of Public Administration has issued a directive urging government officials to update their employment-related information in the Government Employee Management System (GEMS). Failure to do so is causing delays and complications in promotions and postings. The officials are required to provide a recent photograph, posting details, education records, and contact information. Non-compliance will be treated as misconduct, with potential disciplinary actions under the Government Employees (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018.

On the night of February 3rd, Touhidul Islam, the deceased Jubodol leader in the custody of the joint forces, was met by Major General Abul Hasnat Mohammad Tariq, GOC of the 33rd Infantry Division of the Army, along with his family in Comilla. During this meeting, condolences were expressed for his death, and an assurance was given for the swift trial of those responsible. The army also stated that those who provided false information, leading to the incident, will be brought to justice. Touhidul Islam was declared dead by the on-duty doctor after being taken to Comilla Medical College on January 31st, the day after he was picked up by the joint forces.

In a press conference at the Agargaon Election Building, Senior Election Commissioner announced that nearly 50 lakh new voters will be added to the voter list as part of the door-to-door voter list updating program. The commission’s target was over 61 lakh, but 49 lakh 70 thousand 388 new voters have been included. Additionally, 15 lakh 23 thousand deceased voters have been removed from the list, which represents 1.77%. The Election Commission Secretary informed that 16 lakh new female voters have been added this time. Those who were excluded can still join, as registration will continue until April 11. There is no record with the Election Commission of any voter who registered at 17 years old with false information.

In an effort to end long-standing passport-related harassment, the government is considering removing police verification for passport issuance and renewal. Police verification, currently handled by the Special Branch (SB), is often a source of delays and corruption. With 16,000 passports pending due to verification issues, the Ministry of Home Affairs is working to simplify the process. Experts argue that verifying political affiliations or family backgrounds in this context is unnecessary and must be abolished to ensure citizens’ rights.

Four people were killed in a bus accident in the Kasba area of Rajshahi on the night of February 3rd. Two people died at the scene, and two others succumbed to their injuries while receiving treatment at Rajshahi University Medical College. The accident occurred when a passenger bus, departing at 6 p.m., hit a battery-powered auto-rickshaw coming from the opposite direction in the New Kasba area. The deceased have been identified as Mohammad Ibrahim, Mohammad Maruf, Ferdous, and Sabbir Rahman.