In a sign of economic robustness, imports of daily essentials in high demand during Ramadan have increased significantly ahead of the Islamic holy month, boding well for prices to remain stable for these items during the fasting month. According to data from the Bangladesh Bank, imports of daily commodities ahead of the fasting month have risen significantly, with dates up by 23% year-on-year between October and January, peas and lentils by 85%, chickpeas by 64%, and soybean oil by 34%.

Central bank data on letter of credit (LC) settlements from October to January show that 4.54 lakh tonnes of sugar were imported during this period for the upcoming Ramadan, compared to 3.78 lakh tonnes in the equivalent period before the previous Ramadan. Soybean oil imports for the upcoming Ramadan have reached 5.98 lakh tonnes, a 34% increase from 4.47 lakh tonnes in the three months before the previous Ramadan.

Two persons were killed during an "exchange of fire" between allegedly criminal members of 'teen gangs' and members of the joint forces in Dhaka's Mohammadpur early Thursday (Feb. 20). Jewel Rana, additional deputy commissioner of Mohammadpur Zone Police, said the joint force members had been patrolling the area when, around midnight, they received a tip-off about some "criminals" staying at a house in Chand Udyan. As joint force members, including police and army personnel, rushed there and asked them to surrender, the criminals first responded by throwing brick chips.

At one stage, the alleged criminals opened fire, and the joint force members also fired back, the ADC said. A member of the joint force was injured. Minutes later, law enforcers detained five criminals and found two bodies lying there, he added. Police later sent the bodies to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy. They were eventually identified as Miraz Hossain, 25, and Md Jummon, 26.

The Interim Government will settle the unpaid wages and service benefits of approximately 27,000 laid-off workers from 16 textile and garment units of the Beximco Group. An allocation of Taka 600 crore is expected to be earmarked for this, according to AHM Shafiquzzaman, Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The decision comes after the Government's initial plan to pay the workers by selling shares of Beximco was deemed "not feasible within a short timeframe."

Shafiquzzaman mentioned that the government now expects to complete the process by Feb. 26. Last week, Labour and Employment Adviser Brig Gen (Retd) M Sakhawat Hussain announced that the IG aims to clear the salary arrears before Ramadan in March. The IG is now considering taking loans from banks to ensure the workers receive their due payments.

Ongoing efforts to sell shares from Beximco's profitable divisions have hit a snag. The challenges mainly surfaced in relation to shares held by Beximco's owners.

The High Court said the interim government, led by Prof Muhammad Yunus, is supported by legal documents and was formed in accordance with the will of the people of Bangladesh. In a full ruling on a writ petition dismissal, the High Court bench comprising Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Shikdar Mahmoodur Razi issued this observation on February 12. The writ petition challenging the reference and opinion process that was sent to the Supreme Court regarding the formation and oath of the interim government was filed by Supreme Court lawyer Mohsin Rashid.

The full ruling states that in an exceptional situation, the president sought advisory opinions in accordance with Article 106 of the Constitution. Based on the opinion, the necessary actions were taken. "The mass uprising of July-August 2024 is a part of our history, and it is hoped that it will be remembered with care by the people for many years to come," the full ruling further states. The writ petition was dismissed outright as it was deemed to be based on a "misguided assumption, filled with malice and harassment".