The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has summoned the bank accounts of 29 people, including 26 journalists, in the country. At the same time, instructions have been given to freeze the bank accounts of their private institutions. The agency has sent instructions to the institutions in this regard.

On Sunday (November 24), several senior officials of the BFIU confirmed the summons through two separate letters.

According to the first letter, those whose accounts have been summoned are: Dainik Bangla Acting Editor Chowdhury Zafrullah Sharafat, former President of the National Press Club Shafiqur Rahman, TV Today Editor-in-Chief Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, former Washington Press Minister Sajjad Hossain Sabuj, DBC News Assignment Editor Nazneen Munni, Independent TV Chief News Editor Ashish Ghosh Saikat, Gazi TV Editor (Research) Anjan Roy, Somoy TV Chattogram Bureau Chief Kamal Dey, Dainik Amar Somoy Chief Editor Abdul Gaffar Khan, Jugantor's former Narayanganj correspondent Raju Ahmed and Exim Bank Head of PRO Sanjeev Chatterjee.

All transactions of the individuals and their personal and business accounts will be suspended for the next 30 days. If necessary, this period of suspension of transactions will be extended.

The BFIU's instructions also state that the accounts of the summoned accounts, including account opening forms, KYC and transaction details, must be sent to the BFIU within two working days from the date of the letter.

The other individuals summoned according to the letter are Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) President Quddus Afrad, former Managing Director of Bangladesh Journalists Welfare Trust Subhash Chandra Badal, Dhaka Tribune and New York Times Bangladesh correspondent Zulfikar Ali Manik, former Deputy Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Ashraful Alam Khokon, Senior Executive Editor of Dainik Amader Arthaniti Masuda Bhatti, Editor of The Daily Observer Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, former Director of DBC News Md. Shahidul Ahsan Chairman, Dhaka Bangla Media and Communications Limited Director Rahnuma Ahsan, ATN News Head Nurul Amin (Pravas), Dhaka Bangla Media and Communications Limited Director Mahbuba Helen, Dhaka Bangla Media and Communications Limited Director Shah Mohammad Shafiqul Ahsan, Dhaka Bangla Media and Communications Limited Director Md. Salauddin Chowdhury, Ekattor TV Counselor Mobashwira Farzana Mithila, Dainik Janakantha Executive Editor Swadesh Roy, former Somoy TV Managing Director Ahmed Jobayer and Sabrina Mahjabin, daughter of Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury.

No security force in the country has dismissed any of its officers and members based on any recommendation of the commission formed to investigate enforced disappearances in the country.

On Sunday (November 24), chief of the Commission of Inquiry on Disappearances, Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury, confirmed the matter and said, 'The information that 22 members of the country's security forces have been dismissed on the basis of our recommendation is false. This is fake news. Several TV channels are telecasting the wrong news about it.'

We hope that the TV channels will correct and broadcast the information.

Dhaka: The Chief Adviser to the interim government, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, will announce the date of the upcoming 13th parliamentary election, his press wing said.

This was stated at a press conference of the Chief Adviser's Press Wing held at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital on Sunday (November 24).

The Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder, Apurba Jahangir and Assistant Press Secretary Sushismita Tithi were there.

An adviser commented in London that the election could be held in mid-2026, in which regard Apurba Jahangir said, 'The election date has not been given by the Chief Adviser or his office so far. The actual date of the election will be announced by the Chief Adviser. It will be given on his behalf. The rest of them may have expressed their opinions, but they are not concrete.’

At a recent conference titled ‘Bangladesh: Democracy and Human Rights Crisis’ held at the House of Lords in the UK, Brigadier General (Retd) Dr. M. Sakhawat Hossain, Shipping Adviser to the Interim Government of Bangladesh, said that the current interim government is planning to hold fair elections by mid-2026 through reform activities. International cooperation is very important for these elections.

An organization called Voice for Bangladesh organized the conference. It was chaired by Alexander Charles Carlyle, a member of the UK House of Lords. British Minister Paul Scully and international human rights activists also participated in the discussion moderated by the organization’s founder Ataullah Farooq.

Dr. Sakhawat mentioned the suppression of the opposition, human rights violations and public discontent against the Awami League government during Sheikh Hasina’s long rule. According to him, Hasina’s departure has saved the country from further violent situations.

 He said the situation could have been worse if Sheikh Hasina had not left the country on August 5. "The angry crowd could have torn her to pieces, which would not have been good for the country.

Dhaka: The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has published a gazette further amending the International Crimes Tribunal Act-1973.

The gazette was published on Sunday (November 24) by order of the President. Secretary of the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division Dr. Hafiz Ahmed Chowdhury signed it.

The International Crimes (Tribunal) Act, 1973 has been amended to become the ‘International Crimes (Tribunal) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024’. The ordinance states that from now on, various United Nations agencies and international human rights organizations will be able to participate in various proceedings of the case.

The tribunal will be able to order compensation to the victims. The gazette also states that foreign lawyers can be appointed subject to the permission of the Bar Council.

Earlier, on November 20, the Advisory Council of the Interim Government gave in-principle and final approval to the draft of the ‘International Crimes (Tribunal) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024’ at the Secretariat.

Later, in a briefing on this matter, it was said that the section that was included in the draft to bring political parties under trial in the Tribunal Act has been removed. The Advisory Council believes that it would not be right to link any other issue with this trial. Adding the issue of banning political parties or organizations will create an opportunity to question this law unnecessarily. The government does not want to provide that opportunity. If there is a need to ban any political organization for their criminal activities or if there is a demand in the society, the country has the Anti-Terrorism Act, the Election Act, and the 1978 Political Party Ordinance