Jamaat-e-Islami welcomed the new political platform formed by its breakaway activists, even though it allegedly barred party activists from joining the platform - the "Jana Aakangkhar Bangladesh" formed by former leaders of the Jamaat and its student body Islami Chhatra Shibir. Jamaat Ameer Maqbul Ahmad in a statement also termed it "an offshoot of the Islamic movement", and even praised expelled Jamaat leader Mojibur Rahman Monju, a key organiser of the new platform floated this week.

In February, Jamaat's policy-making body Majlish-e-Shura member Monju, who had been vocal about bringing reforms in the party, was expelled from the party for "breaching discipline" and "anti-party activities". The party has since been reportedly asking its activists not to have relations with the people who are talking in favour of party reforms and insisting that Jamaat should apologise to the nation for opposing the 1971 Liberation War.

Transparency International Bangladesh said more than $2 billion was laundered out of Bangladesh to six major labour-recruiting countries - Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Singapore and Malaysia - to illegally purchase work visas in 2016. "Powerful syndicates in destination countries are involved in this illegal trade taking advantage of high demand in Bangladesh for such permits and lack of effective compliance," TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said.

He was speaking at a panel discussion at a seminar organised by the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) of Dhaka University. Asked if such amounts of money continued to be laundered, the anti-corruption campaigner said it was "still the same". A section of government officials are also involved in the informal syndicate, he added.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission said they will be tough on Grameenphone to realise the Tk 12,579.95 crore they claimed from an audit, and may even consider blocking the calls volume of the market leader. BTRC Chairman Md Jahurul Haque said they have different options to realise the claimed amount, and the first step could be to stop issuing no-objection certificates (NOCs) that operators require for different issues.

Secondly, BTRC has the authority to block calls partially to realise the dues. Lastly, they can take action on licencing issues and can issue showcause notice asking why their licence would not be cancelled. The BTRC boss shared these options in a meeting with the Telecom Reporters' Network, Bangladesh (TRNB) at his office. Earlier, GP dismissed the claim as "unfounded and without any legal basis".

Against the backdrop of the recent series bomb attacks in Sri Lanka, the cabinet directed the law enforcement and intelligence agencies to step up anti-terror security measures and vigilance in the country. The directives came during the weekly cabinet meeting, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Meanwhile, two individuals were confirmed to have been killed inside a suspected militant den in Bosila in the capital during a crackdown by security forces. RAB cordoned off a one-storied tin-shed house in the area on information that it is a hideout of top terror outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). When they knocked on the door of "the militants", they were met with several gunshots from inside. After RAB retreated, several explosions were set off, in what were likely suicide blasts that killed the inhabitants.