A low pressure area is likely to form over Southeast Bay and adjoining area on Saturday as seasonal low lies over South Bay, extending its trough to North Bay. Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) predicted it in an update on Friday morning. Moderate to thick fog may occur at places over the northern part of the country and light to moderate fog may occur at places elsewhere over the country during late night till early morning, it reads. Read: Low pressure area likely to form within next 24hrs: BMD Weather may remain dry with temporary partly cloudy sky over the country in 24 hours commencing 9:00am on Friday, according to the BMD. Night and day temperatures may fall slightly over the country, it reads. The country’s highest temperature was recorded in Cox’s Bazar at 32.5 degree Celsius over the past 24 hours till 6pm on Thursday while the lowest temperature 14.3 degree Celsius was recorded in Panchagarh’s Tetulia till 6am on Friday.

The newly appointed chief election commissioner (CEC) and four other commissioners are likely to take oath on Sunday afternoon. Shafiqul Islam, public relations officer of the Supreme Court, said the oath-taking ceremony is likely to be held at 1:30pm on Sunday. Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed is supposed to administer the swearing-in ceremony. Earlier on Thursday, former secretary AMM Md Nasir Uddin was appointed as CEC of the Bangladesh Election Commission. Along with him, four election commissioners were also named. Read: Newly appointed CEC, commissioners likely to take oath Sunday The commissioners are former additional secretary Md Anwarul Islam Sarker, former district and sessions judge Abdur Rahman Masud, former joint secretary Begum Tahmida Ahmad and Brigadier General (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah. President Mohammad Shahabuddin appointed them following section 118 (1) of the Constitution.

A total of 82 Bangladeshi expatriates returned home from war-ravaged Lebanon in a flight of Emirates Airlines on Thursday night. The flight, ‘EK-584’, carrying the expatriates landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) around 11pm, said a media release sent from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The repatriation was made with the help of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment, Bangladesh Embassy in Lebanon’s Beirut and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Among the returnees, 76 expatriates were repatriated at government expenses while six others were funded by the IOM. The 76 returnees had registered with the Bangladesh Embassy in Beirut while the remaining six were registered with the IOM. Read: Govt efforts on to serve expatriate Bangladeshis: Chief Adviser opens waiting lounge at Dhaka airport As of Thursday, a total of 697 Bangladeshis returned from Lebanon through 11 flights. The returnees were welcomed at the HSIA upon their arrival.  

The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement has unveiled its 18-member central executive committee. The announcement was made in a press release on Thursday night. According to the release, the committee will include the convener, member secretary, chief organiser, and spokesperson as ex officio members. This marks a significant step in the organisational structure of the movement. The newly announced 18 members of the central executive committee are: Md Mahin Sarkar, Rashidul Islam Rifat, Nusrat Tabassum, Lutfur Rahman, Ahnaf Saeed Khan, Tarekul Islam (Tarek Reza), Tarikul Islam, Md Meherab Hossain Sifat, Asadullah Al Galib, Mohammad Rakib, Cynthia Jahin Ayesha, Asad Bin Rony, Naim Abedin, Mahmuda Sultana Rimi, Ibrahim Nirab, Rasel Ahmed, Rafiqul Islam Ainy, and Muinul Islam Hasnat. Read: Student movement to lay siege to High Court on Wed This announcement follows the dissolution of the movement’s coordination team on 22 October, which was replaced by a four-member convening committee. The convening committee comprised Hasnat Abdullah as convener, Arif Sohel as member secretary, Abdul Hannan Masud as chief organiser, and Umama Fatema as spokesperson. Until now, the convening committee had been overseeing the organisation's activities. The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement continues to position itself as a key voice against societal inequalities, with this newly formed committee expected to steer its initiatives forward.

Mahmudur Rahman, the editor of Amar Desh newspaper, has said, "Though the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government was brought about by the uprising of the student community, fascism is still active in the country, and the interim government must take responsibility for this." He made these comments during a discussion titled "From Autocracy to Fascism, From Mujib to Hasina: The Threat of Fascism's Return and What Needs to Be Done to Preserve the Revolution," held at the RC Majumdar Arts Auditorium of Dhaka University on Thursday. He said, "One fascist has fled the country, but the allies of fascism are still active. They are conspiring in various ways to destroy the spirit of the student uprising. The interim government should identify and eradicate the remaining fascist elements." He further noted that Sheikh Hasina's fascism had its roots in her father, Mujib. "We need to investigate not only the fascist terms used by Hasina but also who or what groups established fascism in the country after independence. If we look at the history between 1971 and 1975, we can see how Mujib and his thugs started extrajudicial killings. The first victim of this was Siraj Sikder. He is the only person in the history of the country who, after killing Siraj Sikder, boasted in Parliament." Describing Mujib as the initiator of state terrorism, Mahmudur Rahman said that Hasina inherited her fascist language from her father. "Hasina is not the only one who manipulated elections. Mujib, by establishing Baksal (One-Party Rule), laid the path for mass killings. It was under his rule that state terrorism first rose in Bangladesh. To establish terrorism in the country, he formed the Rakkhi Bahini, and his ally Sheikh Fazlul Haq Moni famously declared, 'We want Mujeeb's rule, not the rule of law.' In this way, Mujib and his followers paved the way for fascism in Bangladesh." Mahmudur Rahman also stated that Mujib had curtailed freedom of expression and the media. "Mujib’s one-party rule was the first in the country. He took control of the media, shutting down all newspapers except for four that only praised Mujib. Hasina’s 16 years of fascist rule pale in comparison to Mujib’s three and a half years of autocratic rule. After the revolution, our main task must be to discard the icons of fascism. A fascist has fled the country, but fascism has not been eradicated. We must continue to protest against all fascist activities." He also called for a fight against Indian imperialism, saying, "To be a good citizen of Bangladesh, one must oppose India. Even if we have academic and economic relations with them, we must raise our voices against their conspiracies." At one point in his speech, Mahmudur Rahman pointed out several shortcomings in the interim government. "The government does not reflect the characteristics of a revolutionary government. After such a major revolution, how did fascism resurface? he questioned. "We saw that pro-Awami League officials have gained an overwhelming victory in Bangladesh Bank. How is it possible that after this revolutionary government was formed, they gained such victory? The financial sector of Bangladesh is a crucial area. And in this sector, their allies, such as S. Alam, Salman F. Rahman, and Mohiuddin Alamgir, were siphoning off billions of taka abroad. If we fail to eliminate the rehabilitators of fascism, it will be our greatest failure. If the financial sector collapses, the revolution may be lost." The programme was also attended by Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad, Joint Secretary-General of the Amar Bangladesh Party, Rezaul Karim Roni, Editor of Jaban magazine, and Professor Dr. Mohammad Atiar Rahman, a pediatric specialist at the Sheikh Mujib Medical University, among others.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said the process of finalizing the "Witness Protection Protocol" proposed by the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is under process. Director General of the Public Diplomacy wing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Toufique Hasan, said opinions of various ministries and relevant departments have been received in this regard. Briefing the reporters at the MoFA, he said ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim A Khan will visit Bangladesh on November 25-28. During this visit, he will meet Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin and visit the Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar. During the recent UN General Assembly in New York, the ICC Chief Prosecutor met Prof Yunus and shared their "common vision" to strengthen Bangladesh-ICC cooperation and ensure accountability for crimes committed against the Rohingya. Their discussions included the Rohingya genocide and ways and means to file a crime against humanity case against the perpetrators of the July-August massacre, according to chief adviser's Office. Prof Yunus also asked him about the procedure to file a case of crimes against humanity at the ICC against the perpetrators of the massacre during the July-August uprising, which left at least 700 people dead and more than 20,000 injured. Karim Khan said Bangladesh can definitely file a complaint at the Hague-based court, but he said there are rules to be followed for filing a crimes against humanity case at the ICC. Khan appreciated the chief adviser’s three points regarding the Rohingya crisis. During the meeting, Karim Khan apprised Prof Yunus of the latest developments on the investigations into the Rohingya deportation launched by the ICC in 2019. Bangladesh-Belgium Political Dialogue The second "political dialogue" at the Additional Foreign Secretary level between Bangladesh and Belgium will be held in Dhaka on November 24. The dialogue is expected to discuss various aspects of bilateral and multilateral relations between the two countries, said MoFA Spokesperson Hasan. In addition, views will be exchanged on EU-Bangladesh relations and various global and regional issues. Additional Foreign Secretary Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam will lead the Bangladesh delegation and Director General for Bilateral Affairs. Belgium Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jeroen Cooreman will lead the Belgium delegation.

An employee of Steadfast Courier Service has been arrested for stealing over Tk 20 lakh from the company’s office in Dhaka’s Motijheel. Md Shawkat Ali, 35, was arrested from the Uttar Dalgram Barantor village of Lalmonirhat early Thursday. Police recovered Tk 19,71,500 from his possession during the raid. Case filed over JU student's death caused by e-rickshaw on campus According to police, Shawkat Ali, an employee of the courier service, is believed to have stolen Tk 20,50,895 from the company’s office on November 18. The theft came to light the following day when the company’s in-charge filed a complaint at Motijheel Police Station. Through CCTV footage and intelligence analysis, police swiftly identified Shawkat as the prime suspect. A subsequent raid led to his arrest and the recovery of most of the stolen funds, which were found buried at his sister’s house in the Kaliganj Police Station area. Ex-SCC mayor Anwaruzzaman among 365 AL men sued in explosives cases During primary interrogation, Shawkat admitted to the theft. Legal proceedings are currently underway against him, police said.

A case has been filed in connection with the death of Afsana Karim Rachi, a first-year student of the Marketing Department at Jahangirnagar University (JU), who was hit by a wayward battery-run or electric rickshaw (e-rickshaw) while walking on campus last Monday. The case was filed following a complaint lodged by the university's security officer, Mohammad Abu Syed, at Ashulia Police Station on Thursday. JU students stage blockade over Afsana's death In addition, the university authorities have formed an investigation committee, with Masum Shahriar, a professor in the Pharmacy Department, serving as the convener. Other members of the committee include Professor Dr. Abu Sayeed Md. Mostafizur Rahman (Computer Science and Engineering Department), Professor Dr. Md. Abdur Razzak (Zoology Department), Professor Dr. Mohammad Humayun Kabir (Mathematics Department), Associate Professor Amina Islam (Journalism and Media Studies Department), Associate Professor Dr. Md. Ariful Haque (Marketing Department), and Deputy Registrar (General Administration) Md. Mahtab-uz-Zahid. The committee has been instructed to submit a report within seven working days. A black badge-wearing programme was also held on Thursday. All auto rickshaws and unregistered motorcycles have been banned from the university campus for an indefinite period. JU student dies in rickshaw accident, protests erupt for justice Meanwhile, classmates of Afsana gathered in front of the Business Faculty on Thursday morning to present 11 demands in response to her death. Notable demands include: legal action against the culprit within 24 hours, financial compensation for the family, modernization of the medical center within 7 days, construction of sidewalks and installation of CCTV cameras along the roadside, introduction of a shuttle bus service on campus, and the inclusion of all students under health insurance. In addition, milad and Doa Mahfil were held at the central mosque of the university after Friday Juma prayers. University Proctor Professor Rashidul Alam said, "An unexpected incident has occurred at our university. We are focused on identifying the culprit and ensuring they receive the maximum punishment. The administration has already filed a complaint with the police. The students' demands are very reasonable. We have already banned autorickshaws on campus and are working to implement the remaining demands." Afsana, a student of the Marketing Department, died on Tuesday after being hit by a battery-operated rickshaw near the Arts Building on campus.

Sylhet Metropolitan Police have rescued a mentally unstable woman who had gone missing from Dhaka's Kafrul area. The Kotwali Police rescued her from Bandar Bazar in the city on Thursday, said officer-in-charge of the police station, Md Ziaul Haque. The woman, identified as Sabera Sultana, 55, is the wife of the late Syed Amir Shah Rahmani, and lives at Purba Shewrapara area in Dhaka’s Kafrul. “The woman is mentally unstable. She had previously left her home without her family’s knowledge and had travelled to Sylhet," said the OC. “On Wednesday morning, she again left her home without informing anyone. The family contacted us earlier, suspecting she had come to Sylhet, and sought our assistance. Our team later managed to rescue her, and she was returned to her family,” the police official added.

Youth advocates against tobacco on Thursday called for the amendment and strengthening of existing tobacco control laws to protect the health of adolescents and young people.   They made this demand at the conclusion of a training programme titled "Capacity Building Workshop for the Youth Leaders Against Tobacco” held at Nari Maitree’s headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka. The training was attended by 20 young women.   The programme was chaired by Nari Maitree's Executive Director, Shaheen Akter Dolly, and the special guest was Md. Abdus Salam Mia, Programs Manager of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Bangladesh.   During the workshop Nasrin Akter, Project Coordinator of Nari Maitree, delivered the main presentation, outlining six key demands included in the draft amendments to the tobacco control law prepared by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the FCTC.   These are: the elimination of designated smoking areas in all public places and public transport to protect non-smokers; the prohibition of tobacco product displays at sales points to halt tobacco advertising; and the complete ban on the social responsibility activities of tobacco companies. Additionally, it calls for the prohibition of the import, use, and marketing of e-cigarettes or emerging heated tobacco products, the cessation of all forms of retail and loose sales of tobacco products, and the increase of pictorial health warnings from 50% to 90%.   Shaheen Akter Dolly said that tobacco is highly detrimental to the health of women and children as each year, around 38.4 million people in Bangladesh are exposed to second-hand smoke, with women and children being the most affected.   Abdus Salam Mia, Programs Manager of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Bangladesh, called upon young people to resist the misleading campaigns of tobacco companies, which aim to make tobacco products appealing to youth.   After the enactment of the Tobacco Control Act in 2005, cigarette tax revenue increased by 17.97% in the 2005-06 fiscal year and by 37.52% in 2006-07. Similarly, after the 2013 amendment, revenue rose by 25.51% in 2013-14 and 46.52% in 2014-15.   According to the World Health Organization, both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes are equally harmful. Salam Mia urged young people to be vigilant, resist tobacco companies' deceitful activities, and stand firm against their harmful practices.