Under the leadership of its Amir, Jamaat-e-Islami held a central executive council meeting. Shafiqur Rahman warned of deep-rooted domestic and international conspiracies to destabilize the country. He called for public vigilance and unity formed through the July movement to help build a compassionate Bangladesh. He advised party members to remain cautious, patient, and grounded in justice and faith. “Avoid provocative or inappropriate statements. Do not get involved in instigative or unpleasant incidents,” he warned.

Abdul Awal Sardar, former mayor of Gosairhat Municipality and organizing secretary of the local Awami League, was arrested by immigration police at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Officer-in-Charge Maksud Alam said Awal had been on the run since the political upheaval of August 5. He was trying to quietly flee the country on Thursday night when he was detained and is now being transferred to Gosairhat Police Station.

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.”

The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) reportedly attempted to push in a large number of people through the Vijayanagar border in Brahmanbaria during the night. However, strong resistance from the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and local residents thwarted the effort. Locals claimed around 750 people were involved. In response to the push-in attempt, mosques in several nearby villages broadcast warnings through loudspeakers, prompting hundreds of locals to rush to the border. UNO Sadhana Tripura said, “The situation is under control. The public stood with BGB to prevent the intrusion and remain alert.”

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.

Political activist Hasnat Abdullah wrote, “Only 26 working days remain until the July Declaration.” Despite students planning to unveil the declaration on December 31 at the Shaheed Minar, the government promised to release it instead through an emergency press briefing on December 30 — a promise that remains unfulfilled.

Recently, the government requested 30 more working days. Hasnat attached a video to his post, which features a speaker criticizing the brutalities committed by the ousted Hasina-led Awami League government.

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.

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.

Saiful Haque, General Secretary of the Revolutionary Workers Party, has warned that leasing the Chattogram Port to a foreign company would be a disastrous decision. “Handing over our main seaport—closely tied to national security—to foreign control is contrary to the national interest,” he said. Haque emphasized that no government accountable to its people should hand over such a vital national asset. “We support productive investment,” he clarified, “but any investment or port management deal that endangers national interests and security—no matter how appealing it may seem—must be rejected.”

AB Party Chairman Mojibur Rahman Monju has expressed concern over the lack of visible progress in the work of the National Consensus Commission. He stated that despite the party's initial reservations on key issues, they showed flexibility and agreed on many points in the interest of national unity after discussions with the commission. "We’ve held numerous meetings with various political parties. Still, the advancement of the commission’s efforts remains unclear," said Monju. While the AB Party had differing views on matters like a bicameral parliament, proportional representation, and the appointment process of the Chief Justice, they ultimately agreed to support these ideas out of respect for other parties and to help foster consensus.