Lutfuzzaman Babar has been granted bail in a bribery case involving Tk 2.1 billion, allegedly taken to exonerate Safiat Sobhan Sanvir, a director of Bashundhara Group, in the Sabbir murder case.

The court has set March 18 for arguments against eight accused, including BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and Lutfuzzaman Babar. Other accused in the case include Tarique Rahman’s former APS Mia Nur Uddin Apu, Kazi Salimul Haque Kamal, Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, Safiat Sobhan, Sadat Sobhan, and Abu Sufian.

BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and businessman Gias Uddin Al Mamun have been acquitted by the Appellate Division in a money laundering case previously convicting them with seven years of imprisonment.

On Thursday, the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, granted Mamun’s appeal against the High Court’s verdict. The case alleged that Mamun received over Tk 200 million from Khadija Islam, Chairman of Construction Company Ltd., in exchange for securing the contract to establish an 80-megawatt power plant in Tongi. A portion of this amount was allegedly enjoyed by Tarique Rahman.

On Thursday at 11:00 AM, Advisor Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan visited the grave of martyr Abrar Fahad in Kumarkhali, Kushtia. Following the visit, he met with Abrar’s family members and inaugurated an expansion project for the Abrar Fahad Jame Mosque.

Later, he attended the opening ceremony at the Abrar Fahad Stadium, located beside the Kushtia-Jhenaidah highway. He is also scheduled to hold a discussion session with various officials during his visit.

The government has warned launch operators against charging extra fares during Eid travel. Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr. M Sakhawat Hossain stated that fare charts must be publicly displayed, and violations will lead to fines and route permit cancellations. Authorities will also enforce traffic regulations at Sadarghat and prohibit speedboats and bulkheads from operating at night. Fitness inspections for launches will begin immediately. Officials have assured strict action, including license suspension, against those who break regulations or disrupt transport order.

The High Court has summoned Senior Home Secretary Nasimul Gani for demeaning and disrespecting the Chief Justice and the judiciary in a state security directive. A joint High Court bench comprising Justice Fatema Nazib and Justice Shikdar Mahmudur Raji issued the order on Thursday, directing the Home Secretary to appear in court on March 18.

According to lawyer Shishir Monir, the state security directive issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on March 2 placed the Chief Justice below the Home Secretary and Range DIG in terms of status. However, according to the state’s hierarchy of ranks, the Chief Justice holds a much higher position.

A Dhaka University (DU) staff member arrested for harassing a female student was granted bail within 24 hours of his arrest. The accused, Mostafa Asif Arnab, was taken into custody following allegations that he verbally harassed the student in front of the Raju Memorial Sculpture on March 5. According to the complaint, he confronted her about not wearing a veil and made inappropriate remarks. When she attempted to call the university proctor, he fled the scene. Later, the proctor handed him over to Shahbagh police. Despite police efforts to keep him in custody, the court granted him bail soon after his arrest.

Thirteen fishermen, stranded at sea for four days after their fishing trawler’s engine failed, were rescued by the Bangladesh Coast Guard near Dublarchar in the Sundarbans. The fishing boat MV Ma Babar Doa had been drifting helplessly when an emergency call was made to the national helpline (999). Acting on the distress call, a four-member rescue team from the Coast Guard’s western zone reached the scene and successfully rescued all 13 crew members. The fishermen were later taken to safety along with their vessel.

The Bangladeshi government has formed 15 reform commissions to prevent further human rights violations, with six commissions already submitting their reports. These reports align with findings from the United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner. Legal Advisor Asif Nazrul stated that Bangladesh will work even more closely with the UN Human Rights Office to implement these reforms. He made these remarks at the “Charting the Path Forward” event, attended by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. The event also screened the documentary Jatrabari: An Evidence to Massacre, created by journalist David Bergman.

A Dhaka University student was harassed on the street for her choice of clothing, leading to the arrest of the perpetrator, Mostafa Asif Arnob (25). A group of people gathered at Shahbagh Police Station late at night, demanding his release. After an eight-hour protest, they dispersed around 9:30 AM. Shahbagh Police Station’s officer-in-charge confirmed that Arnob had been presented in court. University authorities handed him over to the police on Wednesday evening after he stopped the female student on the street and aggressively criticized her attire, accusing her of not adhering to conservative dress codes. Arnob worked as a bookbinder at the university’s central library.

In an interview with BBC on Thursday, Professor Muhammad Yunus stated that it is up to the Awami League to decide whether they want to participate in the upcoming elections. “I cannot make that decision for them,” he said. He further clarified that it is the Election Commission’s responsibility to determine which parties can contest the elections. The chief advisor mentioned that the national parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place between December this year and March next year. Reflecting on his initial experience in governance, he admitted to being unprepared for the challenges but emphasized that restoring law and order and stabilizing the economy were top priorities for the new government.

The U.S. Trump administration is set to deport undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants, similar to nationals of other countries residing illegally. The U.S. Embassy in Dhaka recently informed the Bangladesh government about the deportation process. However, the exact number of Bangladeshi immigrants facing deportation and the timeline for the process remain unclear. An inter-ministerial meeting, chaired by Home Affairs Advisor Jahangir Alam, was held at the Secretariat on Wednesday to discuss the matter. The Bangladeshi government has agreed to take back its citizens but has requested that they not be deported in shackles, as seen in the case of Indian nationals. The U.S. has agreed to this request.

An armed man was severely beaten by locals in Dhaka’s Moghbazar area on Wednesday night after a mosque loudspeaker announcement alerted residents. Police sources identified the injured man as Mahfuzur Rahman, an associate of top criminal Subrata Bain. He was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for initial treatment. Following the incident, police and military forces launched an operation in the Moghbazar T&T Colony area, which is still ongoing. After receiving medical attention, Rahman was handed over to his family.

Fifty-six Bangladeshi fishermen, who were detained by the Myanmar Navy, have been released after ten hours in custody. The fishermen were arrested along with six fishing trawlers while fishing near Saint Martin’s Island in the Bay of Bengal. According to Lieutenant Colonel Ashiqur Rahman, the trawlers unintentionally entered Myanmar’s territorial waters while fishing in the southwest region of the sea. The Myanmar Navy confiscated fish, nets, and food supplies from the boats before releasing the fishermen.

Hundreds of women took to the streets in a torch rally, demanding a complete ban on public smoking. Local residents joined the protest in solidarity, urging strict enforcement of Bangladesh’s Tobacco Control Act (2005). Protesters called for a nationwide smoking ban in public places and strict measures against illegal drug dealers. They also voiced concerns over the rampant spread of drugs in the Lalmatia area, where young boys and girls are openly using narcotics, leading to a rise in juvenile delinquency.

Zahirul Islam, a leader of the Volunteer League in Barguna, has been arrested on charges of extorting Tk 20,000 from local watermelon farmers. A case was filed at Taltoli Police Station by farmer Rakib Bhaddar, accusing Islam and seven others of extortion. On Wednesday afternoon, police produced Islam before the Amtali Magistrate’s Court, which ordered him to be held in jail pending further investigation.