The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) of the central bank identified 202 bank accounts associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), a Hindu religious organisation. Over time, a total of approximately Tk 236.42 crore was deposited into these bank accounts. By November 29, Tk 223.73 crore had been withdrawn, leaving a balance of Tk 12.94 crore, officials said. Besides, they said, Tk 39.2 crore was deposited in the name of controversial religious preacher Chandan Kumar Dhar, also known as Chinmoy Kumar Das, an expelled leader of the group now in jail in Chattogram. Over time, almost the entire amount has been withdrawn.

BFIU has now been tasked with investigating the sources of the funds and identifying the individuals or entities responsible for the deposits. On November 30, the BFIU ordered the suspension of transactions in the bank accounts of 17 ISKCON members, including controversial leader Chandan Kumar Dhar alias Chinmoy Kumar Das, for 30 days.

The government cancelled the gazette published on October 15 for the 43rd Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) recruitment and issued a new one, which excludes 168 candidates from various cadres. According to the new gazette from the Ministry of Public Administration issued yesterday, 1,896 candidates recommended by the Public Service Commission (PSC) have been appointed to entry-level positions in various cadres.

However, the Hindu-Bouddha-Christian Oikya Parishad (Unity Council), an advocacy group, in a statement said of the 168 candidates excluded, 71 belong to religious minorities, which is obviously disproportionately high. Condemning the gazette, the organisation said that the gazette is a clear reflection of a mindset of religious hatred, which "goes against expectations of the recent anti-discrimination movement". The excluded candidates have submitted written applications to the Ministry of Public Administration demanding appointment. After that more than 50 candidates who were excluded formed a human chain in front of the Secretariat protesting the move by the government.

Expatriate Bangladeshis sent home an all-time record $26.9 billion in 2024, up 23 percent in a year, on the back of a record-breaking month in December, as expatriate Bangladesh continued the trend of a marked increase in inflows since the fall of the Awami League government on August 5. It's a development that has brought huge relief to the government as it endeavours to shore up the country's strained dollar stockpile, amid an economic downturn. In December, a record $2.63 billion came in, up 33 percent from a year earlier.

Narrowing the difference in the exchange rate between the formal and informal markets under Governor Ahsan H. Mansur, who took charge after the uprising, partially accounts for the spike in remittances. There is also a general goodwill that the current government enjoys with the expatriate community, that encourages them to use official banking channels to remit money back home.

Students of the University Of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, a well-reputed private university, blocked the main gate of their campus on Wednesday (Jan. 1), demanding vice-chancellor Imran Rahman resign, among other things. Students protesting under the banner of Students Against Fascism kept the entrance blocked for over 6 hours, confining the teachers and staff, including the vice-chancellor, inside the campus. The administration however refused to budge. The protests stemmed from a December 29 notice of the university placing two students on 'disciplinary probation' and issuing a formal warning to another for drawing graffiti inside the campus.

Their five-point demand is: the vice-chancellor must resign; the trustee members who 'collaborated with the fascist regime' and 'accused of corruption' must be removed; all the members of the disciplinary committee and proctorial body must resign admitting to their taking anti-student decisions; the university's code of conduct must undergo logical reforms based on opinions from all stakeholders, including students; and all the repressive provisions from the university's rules and regulations must be abolished.