Chief adviser professor Muhammad Yunus has been named among TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2025. This recognition follows his pivotal role in steering Bangladesh toward democracy following last year's student-led uprising. In a tribute published in the Time, former US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton praised the Nobel Peace Prize laureate for stepping into leadership during a critical juncture in the nation's history.

"After a student-led uprising toppled Bangladesh's authoritarian prime minister last year, a known leader stepped up to guide the nation toward democracy: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus," Clinton writes. Highlighting Yunus' legacy, Clinton recalled his work in founding Grameen Bank, which revolutionised microfinance by extending small loans to impoverished communities-97 per cent of them women-enabling millions to start businesses, support their families, and reclaim their dignity.

The European Union on Wednesday published a list of seven countries it considers "safe", in a bid to speed up migrant returns by making it harder for citizens of those nations to claim asylum in the bloc. The list -- which includes Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco and Tunisia -- would need to be approved by the bloc's parliament and members before entering force. "Many member states are facing a significant backlog of asylum applications, so anything we can do now to support faster asylum decisions is essential," said Magnus Brunner, the EU's commissioner for migration.

Brussels has been under pressure to clamp down on irregular arrivals and facilitate deportations, following a souring of public opinion on migration that has fuelled hard-right electoral gains in several countries. The commission said EU candidate nations would also in principle meet the criteria to be designated as safe countries.

Bangladesh Bank has instructed all banks to submit comprehensive information on willful defaulters in a separate format. "It is mandatory to include all relevant details, including the names and identities of willful defaulters," the central bank said in its directive. The Banking Regulation and Policy Department of Bangladesh Bank issued the notification with immediate effect on Wednesday. Banks are required to submit information to the Credit Information Bureau (CIB) of Bangladesh Bank every quarter.

Previously, a similar directive was issued on 12 March 2024, which asked banks to report on the actions taken against willful defaulters. The latest directive introduces further amendments regarding the reporting process. According to the new circular, three specific instructions have been outlined for reporting willful defaulters to the central bank.

Model and chairperson of Miss Bangladesh Foundation Meghna Alam on Thursday was shown arrested in a fraud case filed with Dhanmondi police station. Judge of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court Masum Mia passed the order after the investigation officer (IO) of the case produced her before the court with a plea for showing her arrested, said Public Prosecutor Omar Farooq Farooqi.

The court also placed Dewan Samir, an aide of the model, on a five-day remand after showing him arrested in the same case. On the night of April 9, Detective Branch (DB) picked her up from her residence in Bashundhara residential area of Dhaka and she was taken into custody the following day for 30 days, triggering criticism over the matter.