Sultana Akter, the mother of missing student activist Yasin, has made a heartfelt plea for her son’s return. “It has been seven days since my son went missing. The police and administration are not helping to find him. My son is also a citizen of this country, so why is no one assisting in locating him? Please, bring my son back, alive or dead,” she said. Yasin, a member of the student wing of the opposition, went missing after a clash between locals and fishermen at Rasulpur Ghat in Khaliajuri, Netrokona. Three other missing individuals have since been found dead.

A Deputy Police Commissioner in Rangpur Metropolitan Police has been accused of assaulting a complainant and attempting to open fire when the victim tried to file an extortion case against him at Kotwali Police Station. The accused officer has since been transferred. Meanwhile, police have arrested businessman leader Amit Banik and sent him to jail. Kotwali police have filed a general diary (GD) against the officer. Reports suggest that the accused officer was involved in demanding bribes to withdraw murder charges against Lipi Khan, a local leader close to the ruling Awami League. When Banik sought legal action against the officer, he was drawn into a conflict that led to his arrest.

Indian mobile SIM cards are being widely used in border villages of Kasba, Akhaura, and Bijoynagar Upazilas, causing significant revenue losses for the Bangladesh government. Local enforcement agencies remain largely inactive despite the issue. Due to poor mobile network coverage, residents, particularly the youth, rely on Indian SIM cards for internet services. The widespread use of these SIMs facilitates communication between cross-border smugglers and human traffickers, contributing to rising criminal activities. Residents claim they are forced to use Indian SIMs due to the poor network coverage of Bangladeshi operators.

Authorities in Cumilla seized illegal Indian fireworks worth BDT 30.8 million late Thursday night. Lt. Col. AM Zahid Parvez, commander of the 10th Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) battalion, stated that the raid was conducted at Kabir Bazar based on intelligence. A special task force comprising BGB, RAB, and the district administration confiscated 1.4 million units of illegal fireworks along with a smuggling truck.

Police have arrested Sikdar Riyad Hossain Apu, the president of the banned Dashmina Upazila Chhatra League, on Thursday. In March 2022, a BNP Union Council event in Sankipur village was disrupted by Awami League activists. Following the incident, BNP recently filed a case, leading to Apu’s arrest. He has been sent to prison.

Adviser Mahfuz Alam stated that Bengali nationalism was used as a pretext to impose anti-Islamic sentiments on Islamic scholars and madrasa students. He accused the ruling class of harboring Islamophobia, claiming that recent mass uprisings have partially countered it, but the struggle is far from over. Speaking at an Iftar gathering at Tamirul Millat, he emphasized the importance of ensuring that no religious or ideological bias undermines citizens’ rights. He called for equal treatment of all and urged the state to safeguard everyone’s rights.

Upon hearing about the transfer of Officer-in-Charge (OC) Farid Ahmed from Nandail Model Police Station, numerous creditors gathered at the station, accusing him of irregularities and corruption. There are allegations that on the night before his departure, the OC registered five cases in exchange for a hefty bribe. Appointed as OC on September 26, he faced rising crime rates, including theft and robbery, during his tenure. Despite receiving three excellence awards from Mymensingh district police, he struggled to control politically motivated crimes.

In Mohanganj, Netrokona, a businessman named Jasim Uddin (35) was brutally attacked after refusing to pay extortion money to a Jubo Dal leader and his associates. He is currently undergoing treatment. According to his wife, Nisha Akter, the attack was led by Faisal Ahmed Khokon, Secretary of the Municipal Jubo Dal, along with 10-12 of his followers. Jasim Uddin, the owner of Dhaka-based recruitment agency M/S Afif International, resides in Dhaka with his family. The attackers had been demanding BDT 1 million from him. When he refused to pay, they assaulted him on Friday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it would take departmental action against former Bangladesh Ambassador Harun Al Rashid, who fled to Canada after resigning. Harun was ordered to return to Bangladesh on December 11 but left his post on February 27 without approval and moved to Ottawa. He is also accused of attempting to downplay the political unrest in Bangladesh after August 5.

BNP leader Dr. Moin Khan stated that power often leads to the downfall of leaders, citing the example of the current government. He emphasized that political leaders should focus on the welfare of the people and not be swayed by power. He also condemned attempts to distort the religious beliefs of Bangladesh’s people through propaganda, asserting that the country’s citizens are devout but not fanatical.

An elderly Rohingya, Neyamat Ullah, was killed in a stampede during a large iftar gathering attended by Muhammad Yunus and Antonio Guterres. Two others, Asmat Ullah and Kalim Ullah, were injured and taken to the district hospital. Neyamat Ullah was the son of deceased Sabi Mia from Camp 4.

Maulana Syed Mosaddak Billah Al Madani of the Islamic Movement of Bangladesh called for the implementation of Islamic laws against adultery to prevent incidents like the one in Achiya. He warned that delays in the judicial process could lead the public to take the law into their own hands. He also criticized the slow pace of justice in cases of child and women abuse and called for reforms in law enforcement to eliminate fascist influences in government.

Abu Hanif of the Gono Odhikar Parishad stated that law and order cannot improve unless political parties cooperate with the police. He criticized the government for failing to meet public expectations and demanded the identification and punishment of law enforcement members involved in the 2013 uprising. Regarding the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), he stressed that criminals should be brought to justice, but the entire force should not be questioned.

Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus stated that Cox’s Bazar is not just a tourist town but also a major economic center. He highlighted the importance of the sea for trade and the potential benefits of Bangladesh’s seaports to neighboring countries like Nepal and India. Dr. Yunus also suggested that Cox’s Bazar could become a hub for information technology and renewable energy, exploring wind power production as part of a pilot project.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it would take departmental action against former Bangladesh Ambassador Harun Al Rashid, who fled to Canada after resigning. Harun was ordered to return to Bangladesh on December 11 but left his post on February 27 without approval and moved to Ottawa. He is also accused of attempting to downplay the political unrest in Bangladesh after August 5.