Wearing symbolic funeral shrouds, students from various Polytechnic Institutes across the country staged a massive protest march on Friday after Jumu’ah prayers, starting from Tejgaon Polytechnic. The demonstration, organized under the banner of “Technical Student Movement Bangladesh,” was announced late Thursday night. Earlier in the evening, students held torch processions in Dhaka and other cities. Protesters accused the Ministry of Education of betraying them through staged meetings and condemned the attack on fellow demonstrators in Cumilla.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Tawhid Hossain has identified the Arakan Army as the primary obstacle to the repatriation of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh. “We are stuck — we cannot directly negotiate with them, nor can we completely ignore them,” he said. On the broader issue of overseas migration, Hossain noted that 80% of the problems faced by migrant workers originate in Dhaka, while the remaining 20% occur in destination countries. Despite staff shortages at Bangladeshi embassies, he stressed the need to address 100% of expatriate issues. Citing economic progress, he noted that Bangladesh’s exports have grown from $1 billion in the 1980s to $60 billion today, crediting the diplomatic corps for playing a role. He also highlighted the contributions of foreign service officers in shaping international public opinion during the Liberation War.

In a disturbing incident in Tangail’s Madhupur, a woman named Laboni Akhter sold her four-month-old son for 40,000 BDT to buy a mobile phone, a nose ring, and ankle bells. The mother admitted her actions, saying she was not in a stable state of mind. Her husband, Robiul Islam, reported the incident to the police after learning the truth. Authorities have begun efforts to recover the child, who was sold with the help of an accomplice named Monir to a buyer in Sirajganj.

Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar has stated that his party is ready to participate in national elections only after comprehensive reforms and legal proceedings against Sheikh Hasina. “There will be no elections before justice and reform. The Ameer has already called for a national unity. A self-reliant new Bangladesh cannot be built without it,” he said. Porwar added, “In trying to ban Jamaat, Hasina has been politically outlawed by the people themselves.” Referring to the July movement, he emphasized the blood debt of over 2,000 lives lost and 30,000 injured, asserting the party’s responsibility to them. He also stressed the need for a justice-based and inclusive Bangladesh. “The key challenge for the interim government will be to restore the people’s right to vote,” he concluded, vowing that Jamaat and BNP would continue to stand united on future national issues as they have over the past 16 years.

In Germany, several student protesters were arrested after they entered the Emil Fischer Lecture Hall at a university building in Berlin to protest Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and the planned expulsion of four pro-Palestinian individuals by the Berlin state government. The students hung banners from the windows that read, “You are complicit in genocide,” “There is only one state, Palestine ’48,” and “Intifada until victory.” Outside the building, around 20 demonstrators expressed solidarity with slogans such as “Free Palestine,” “Boycott Israel,” “No borders, no expulsions,” “Germany is a fascist state,” and “Resistance is a right under international law.” Police later arrested at least five protesters, one of whom was reportedly wearing a press jacket.

The United States has announced new port fees targeting Chinese-built and operated vessels, aiming to boost the domestic shipbuilding industry and curb China’s maritime dominance. These fees, which will come into effect around mid-October, apply to all Chinese-linked vessels entering U.S. ports. Ships will incur additional charges per tonnage or container, with fees starting at $18 per entry or $120 per container. For a vessel carrying 15,000 containers, the cost could surge by up to $1.8 million. The fees will be reviewed five times a year. However, waivers may be granted if the vessel’s owner places an order for U.S.-built ships.

In a foreword for TIME Magazine, Hillary Clinton praised Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus for his role in steering Bangladesh toward democracy after the fall of its authoritarian leader during the people’s uprising. Clinton highlighted Yunus’ decades-long work with Grameen Bank in empowering the poor through microloans. Recalling her first meeting with him in Arkansas with then-Governor Bill Clinton, she noted his global impact and praised his current efforts to restore human rights and accountability in Bangladesh.

Former ambassador M. Maruf Zaman was reportedly abducted from the airport area on December 4, 2017, and held in a DGFI-run torture cell for 16 months. Zaman, known for criticizing Indian influence and the Hasina government, described harrowing conditions: loss of teeth from beatings, torn ligaments, untreated infections, and insect-infested cells. He endured extreme torture methods, including waterboarding, and witnessed fellow detainees disappearing. Guards occasionally hinted at secret executions.

In response to Bangladesh’s condemnation of alleged misinformation and Muslim persecution amid protests over the Wakf Act in West Bengal, India has firmly rejected the remarks. Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that Bangladesh’s reaction appears to be an attempt to deflect from ongoing concerns about minority oppression within its own borders. “Criminals behind such communal incidents are still freely roaming,” he added. Jaiswal emphasized that instead of making baseless comments, Bangladesh would be better served by focusing on protecting the rights of its own minorities. Notably, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused both Professor Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of fueling the current communal tensions.

A mobile court in Dighinala, Khagrachari, fined Nurul Haque Tk 2 lakh for illegal hill cutting under the Soil Management Act 2010. Executive Magistrate Mamunur Rashid led the operation based on a tip-off. Haque, the landowner, immediately paid the fine. Officials noted that the hill had been leveled without any government approval.

A Tk 5.12 crore bridge is under construction over a canal in Titas, Cumilla, but lacks proper access roads on either side. One end opens to nothing, while the other connects to a damaged rural road. The surrounding area consists of agricultural fields, making the bridge practically unusable for locals. Additionally, another bridge worth over Tk 5.5 crore is being built just 700 meters away. Locals allege these projects are examples of rampant public fund mismanagement and wastage.

Activist groups ‘SAD’ and ‘July Records’ organized a human chain demanding official recognition of Myanmar-origin Noor Mostafa as a martyr of the people’s uprising, and honorary citizenship for his family. Noor, born in Bangladesh with legal documentation, was killed during the mass protests. Speakers condemned the exclusion of his name from the official list of July martyrs and urged the government to rehabilitate affected families and injured protesters.

Deputy Press Secretary Azad Majumder has stated that an independent nation cannot shape its foreign policy around pleasing one neighbor at the expense of distancing another. He emphasized a “Bangladesh-first” approach moving forward. Majumder called for Pakistan to offer a formal apology, return Bangladesh’s rightful assets, and ensure the repatriation of stranded Pakistanis. He cited global examples of former enemies becoming allies, such as the U.S. and Japan after World War II.

Police in Savar arrested three young men from a moving bus and recovered knives from each of them. The detainees are Tanvir Hossain (18) from Nawabganj, Mamun Hasan Munna (19) from Savar, and Sohanur Rahman (18) from Mymensingh. According to police, the trio was preparing to commit a robbery onboard.

Gono Odhikar Parishad leader Nurul Haque Nur has called for immediate action against financial criminals and political mafias, stating that even during the 1/11 political crackdown, some top businessmen were arrested along with politicians. He criticized the current transitional government for failing to take action against major corrupt figures, especially land grabbers and financial embezzlers allegedly shielded by authoritarian powers. Nur specifically mentioned that while minor actions were taken against entities linked to S. Alam Group, there has been no visible action against the real enablers of corruption. He urged advisors to take swift measures, warning, “There is no room for fascist looters and mafias in the Bangladesh of 2024.”