Over 3,000 people were arrested from different parts of the country as part of Operation Devil Hunt, a nationwide security operation launched on Saturday (Feb. 8), ostensibly "to curb unrest and ensure public safety". The context in which it came about, plus the profiles of those arrested, suggested a particular focus on supporters and activists of the Awami League. The operation was devised following an attack last Friday on students and civilians in Gazipur. A group of students got ambushed when they attacked the residence of veteran AL leader, the ex-liberation war affairs minister and MP from Gazipur, Mozammel Huq.

Cadres maintained by Huq, who fled to India, and ex-mayor Zahangir Alom are said to have planned and executed the ambush, that left the students' movement shaken, as more than a dozen student activists had to be brought to DMCH for treatment, bleeding profusely from injuries inflicted with sharp knives. One of them, Mohammed Kashem, 17, succumbed to his injuries at DMCH.

Bangladesh Bank unveiled its monetary policy for the remainder of the current fiscal year 2024-25, with a target to bring inflation down to between 7-8% while projecting GDP growth at 4-5%. Governor Dr Ahsan H Mansur presented the new monetary policy during a press conference at the central bank on Monday. The monetary policy focuses on stabilising three key financial indicators: exchange rates, inflation and interest rates.

It also aims to provide for just a slight economic expansion, despite a significant decrease in private sector credit flow, as the global economic slowdown, along with the impact of domestic financial scams, has contributed to sluggish GDP and credit growths in Bangladesh. However, the policy interest rate remains unchanged for now, meaning lending rates will not rise further. Despite recommendations from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the central bank has opted to maintain the policy rate.

Families of army officers killed in the 2009 Pilkhana massacre demanded that the BDR soldiers sentenced to life imprisonment or death in connection with the killings must not be released "prematurely". At a press conference held at the Retired Armed Forces Officers Welfare Association (RAOWA) Club in Mohakhali, they also reiterated their call for February 25 to be declared "National Shaheed Sena Day." The families launched a charitable organisation, "Shaheed Sena Officers' Association," at the press conference, aiming to preserve the legacy of the fallen officers and ensure justice for their deaths.

They also demanded a proper investigation into the unnatural deaths of several BDR personnel in prison, considering these deaths to be highly suspicious, and reiterated their long-held view that the masterminds behind the massacre remain at large. Family members of the BDR (now BGB) men who remain imprisoned as death row convicts or serving life-terms for their role in killing the Army officers, have been demanding their freedom through a legal process that effectively declares a mistrial.

Bangladesh registered a steep fall in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first six months (July-December) of the current 2024-25 fiscal. During the period, overseas investment in the country dipped by more than 71 percent or nearly three quarters, compared to the same period of the last fiscal. The Finance Ministry made the disclosure in its report on macroeconomic situation submitted to the chief adviser on Sunday. According to the official data, foreign investment in the first six months of the current fiscal year stood at just $213 million, a sharp decline from $744 million during the same period last year.

Foreign investment has been sluggish for a long period of time, with little improvement in the business environment. Local investment has also been stagnant, which some experts believe is a key factor behind the decline in foreign investment. Apart from the institutional weaknesses, there is the issue of ongoing political uncertainty, which is deterring new foreign investments.