As announced earlier, the Inqilab Mancha launched a protest march in Dhaka on Friday, demanding justice for the murder of Sharif Osman Hadi. Following Friday prayers, protesters began the march from Dhaka University’s central mosque, chanting slogans. The program had been unveiled at a press conference on Thursday at Dhaka University’s Madhur Canteen. Abdullah Al Zaber, the organization’s general secretary, urged people across Bangladesh—from districts and upazilas to unions and villages—to hold marches and gatherings demanding justice for Osman Hadi’s killing. Zaber called on the public to ensure the swift trial and arrest of the perpetrators, warning that the case should not face delays or vanish into repeated postponements, as happened with journalist couple Sagar and Runi.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to send a delegation to Dhaka in the coming days for a final round of talks with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) before taking a decision on Bangladesh’s participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The BCB also confirmed ICC delegation’s visit to Bangladesh. We are eager to play in the World Cup, particularly in Sri Lanka, and I strongly believe that organising this is not impossible,” the sports adviser said. Bangladesh’s tour to India for the T20 World Cup remains uncertain, with the BCB formally requesting the ICC to relocate its matches outside India, citing the “safety and security concerns” of players, officials and support staff. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to begin on February 7.

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Between 4:30am and 5am, these vehicles were seen ferrying large groups of tourists toward Chhera Dwip, an uninhabited and ecologically sensitive extension of Saint Martin’s Island. According to the existing government rules, tourists visiting Saint Martin’s Island are required to follow strict government guidelines to protect its fragile ecosystem. Saint Martin’s Island spans only 5 to 8 square kilometres, depending on tides, and supports a resident population estimated at 12,000 people, many dependent on tourism for livelihoods. “This Master Plan presents a vital opportunity to protect biodiversity while strengthening community livelihoods, but only through collective action,” said Sonali Dayaratne, deputy resident representative of UNDP Bangladesh. As the current tourism season continues ahead of the island’s scheduled closure, conservationists warn that policy alone will not save Saint Martin’s.

The death toll from a fire that broke out at a seven-storey residential building in Uttara, Dhaka, has risen to six. The incident occurred at a building located on Road No 18 in Sector 11 of Uttara. Two units from Uttara Fire Station arrived at the scene at 7:58am and began efforts to control the flames. Talha Bin Jasim, an official of the Fire Service’s Public Relations Department, said that Fire Service units reached the building within eight minutes of receiving information about the fire. The blaze broke out on the second floor of the seven-storey building.

Our challenges are certainly undeniable, and this interim government has inherited what is essentially a fragmented and broken economy. Inflation remains stubbornly high, and we understand the need for tighter monetary policy - which has predictably restricted credit flows and slowed investment. However, they cannot continue to hold us down, and we must also keep one eye firmly on our lagging growth. While the World Bank’s projection of a rebound to 6.1% in FY27 offers hope, hope alone cannot be a strategy and we need action. Growth is not guaranteed, and projections can slip but as an economy, we must also act with foresight, balancing immediate stabilization with long-term reforms.

A citizens’ condolence meeting is set to be held on Friday at 2:30pm at the South Plaza of the National Parliament, in memory of the former prime minister Khaleda Zia. The event is being organized under the initiative of civil society, with strict regulations and extensive preparations undertaken surrounding the program. Law enforcement personnel have already begun taking positions in connection with the condolence meeting. He said that the condolence meeting will be held inside the South Plaza of the Parliament complex. Archway metal detectors have been installed at the entry points, and everyone entering the venue will be required to undergo security screening.

The Election Commission on Thursday announced a fresh election schedule for the Pabna-1 and Pabna-2 constituencies, with polls to be held on February 12, in line with the order of the Appellate Division. The election schedule was declared, cancelling the previous schedule announced on December 11 last as per the court order passed on Thursday, said a notification issued by the EC. The Election Commission recently suspended the election in Pabna-1 and Pabna-2 constituencies until further directives from the court. On January 15, the Appellate Division cleared the way for holding the elections in Pabna-1 and Pabna-2 constituencies on February 12 in accordance with the boundaries specified in the Election Commission’s September 4 gazette. As per the order, Sathia upazila will constitute Pabna-1 constituency while Sujanagar and Bera upazilas will form Pabna-2.

Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal fired Barcelona to a 2-0 win over Racing Santander and into the Copa del Rey quarterfinals on Thursday. The hosts had two goals disallowed for offside and record 32-time winners Barca did just enough to claim victory. Having seen Real Madrid eliminated at second-tier Albacete on Wednesday Barca coach Hansi Flick named a fairly strong side, including teenage star Yamal. Eventually the Spanish champions took the lead through Torres, after Fermin Lopez sent him through on goal. Barca wrapped up their win with the last kick of the match, Yamal tapping in Raphinha's cross at the back post.

To say that our universities have not been held in high regard for some for some time would be an understatement. However, if such normalization of what appears to be mob behaviour displayed by students in institutions that should embody discipline and respect continues, this reputation can only get worse. Students have no mandate to mete out punishment, and any attempt to do so is nothing short of mob justice. Ironically, such a culture of harassment only risks repeating the authoritarian practices that many universities supposedly seek liberation from. Our universities cannot afford to let mob behaviour become equivalent to justice.

Public administration as a discipline and practice is once again at an inflection point. Thus, the need to balance “doing things right” with “doing the right things,” recognizing that governance is as much a moral enterprise as a managerial one. In order to explore an optimum framework for next generation public administration, it is very crucial to understand the key dilemmas of modern administration. These include neutrality versus responsiveness, autonomy versus integration, simplicity versus complexity, rationality versus incrementalism, and authority versus democracy. Dr Mohammad Kamrul Hasan is a Public Administration and Public Policy Analyst.

In the moment of political vacuum, the National Citizen’s Party (NCP) emerged as a symbolic vessel for generational hope. Therefore, the NCP confronted a dilemma, when the state moved from street politics to electoral politics. It is a belief among the people that political parties must serve citizens rather than gaining power. At the time of election, coalitions among political parties reemerge, break, and reconfigure. The visible crisis within the emerging political parties emphasizes a profound concern for the country’s political trajectories.

The holy Shab-e-Meraj will be observed across the country on Friday night with due respect and religious fervour. The Muslims every year on the 26th night of the Arabic month of Rajab observe the Shab-e-Meraj. On this night, Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) had embarked on a special journey to meet the Almighty Allah. In the journey, the Prophet (PBUH) travelled on the "Buraq" to heaven where Allah gave him instructions to take back to the faithful regarding the details of prayers. Muslim devotees will offer special prayers at mosques and homes seeking blessings of Allah for the welfare of the entire nation and the Muslim Ummah.

US Trump administration officials on Friday held a virtual meeting with Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Tarique Rahman to discuss the interim government’s negotiated tariff agreement and explore ways to strengthen bilateral trade ties. The meeting was held from 9am to 9:30am (BST), with Tarique Rahman and a BNP representative joining it from his residence, while the US delegation participated from Washington, DC. The US delegation was led by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Other participants included Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Emily Ashby, Deputy Assistant US Trade Representative Rick Switzer, USTR Chief of Staff Sam Mulopolous, and Senior Policy Adviser to the Deputy USTR D.R Seckinger. During the meeting, Tarique Rahman emphasized the importance of deepening trade engagement and developing broader cooperation in areas of mutual interest to further enhance Bangladesh-US economic ties, sources said.