Outsourcing workers have been protesting by blocking the road in front of the Press Club for more than an hour, demanding permanent employment. As a result, there is severe traffic congestion in the Secretariat and surrounding areas. Despite repeated requests from the police, no one is leaving the road.

They blocked the road in front of the Secretariat from 3 pm on Saturday (February 22) demanding permanent employment. Workers working in outsourcing projects in various institutions including government, autonomous departments, and drectorates were present at the time.

Patrol Inspector Sardar Bulbul Ahmed of Shahbagh Police Station in Ramna Zone appeared and repeatedly requested the protesters to leave the road through the microphone. He said, please leave the road. You have caused public suffering. Traffic has stopped. If you do not leave the road, we will be forced to take action.

At this time, the blockaders became agitated and said, we will not leave the road until their demands are accepted. I will give my life if necessary, but I will not return home without fulfilling my demands.

Attorney General Md. Asaduzzaman said, the syndicate of the judiciary and police departments has been dissolved. Under the leadership of Chief Adviser Dr. Yunus, the future Bangladesh will be based on good governance and justice.

He said this at a workshop organized at the PTI auditorium in Jashore on Saturday (February 22).

Asaduzzaman said, the police must be careful during the investigation so that no innocent person is punished.

Addressing the judges, he said, you do not have the exclusive right to grant bail. Trials cannot be conducted on the basis of the theory before August 5. A new trial process must be started.

Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam spoke as a special guest at the workshop chaired by Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Nasimul Gani.

He told the officials of the police, administration and judiciary that this country is going through transformation. In the future Bangladesh, you will be accountable to the law and the constitution, not to any person. You will have to decide whose side you will stand on.

Stating that many conspiracies are going on, the Chief Prosecutor said, "We will not be able to hold this state if this counter-revolution is not suppressed with a strong hand. We are in a state of war. Those who are creating chaos must be caught."

At this time, among others, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Monir Haider, Additional IG of CID Matiur Rahman Sheikh, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Ataur Rahman Khan, etc. spoke.

The workshop was attended by 320 officials including Divisional Commissioners of Khulna and Barishal divisions and Deputy Commissioners of 16 districts, Superintendent of Police, Police Commissioner, District and Sessions Judge, Senior Judicial and Metropolitan Magistrate, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Public Prosecutor, Upazila Nirbahi Officers and Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Police Station.

The announcement of the new party is coming this month. The name of the party has not been finalized yet. However, the interim government's information and broadcasting adviser Nahid Islam will lead the party. He will resign from the government before the party is announced.

Meanwhile, the dispute began over the demands of former leaders of the Islami Chhatra Shibir, who are involved in the process of forming this party of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and the National Citizens' Committee. For this reason, it is reported from multiple sources that the number of top positions in the new party is being increased by compromising to keep all parties happy.

Discussions have been held over the creation of new positions in addition to the four positions of convener, member secretary, chief organizer and spokesperson.

It is learned that several compromise meetings have been held between the parties involved in the dispute over the past few days. In these meetings, discussions were held about the creation of the posts of senior joint convener and senior joint member secretary. These two or more new positions may be created. An attempt is being made to keep former leaders of Chhatra Shibir in the new party by creating posts.

Meanwhile, the National Citizen Committee and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement leaders had no objection to Nahid Islam's nomination for the post of convener of this new party from the beginning. There was a disagreement over who would come as the member secretary. Based on the agreement, Akhtar Hossain's name is pretty much final for this post. Adviser Nahid Islam can resign from the interim government at any time to take over the responsibility of the convener of the new party. On the other hand, Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah can be seen as the main organizers and spokespersons of the new party.

On the other hand, based on the agreement with the former leaders of Chhatra Shibir who are in the National Citizen Committee, the name of Ali Ahsan Jonayed (former president of the Dhaka University branch of the Shibir) is being considered for the post of senior joint convener. And the current convener of the National Citizen Committee, Nasiruddin Patwari, may come as the senior joint member secretary of the party. These issues have been confirmed by talking to three leaders of the National Citizens Committee and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement who are joining the new party.

Apart from the top six positions, National Citizens Committee spokesperson Samantha Sharmin, joint conveners Sarwar Tushar, Tasnim Zara and Ariful Islam Adeeb, joint member secretaries Anik Roy, Mahbub Alam and Alik Mir may get important positions in the new party. In addition, Abdul Hannan Masud, the main organizer of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, may also be seen in important positions in the party.

The possible date for the debut of this new political party has been set on January 26 at Manik Mia Avenue in the capital.

A responsible leader of the Citizens Committee said that the Citizens Committee wants to walk the path with everyone. From that point, a kind of understanding has been reached regarding the top positions of the new political party. Based on this, the name of Ali Ahsan Jonayed has been largely finalized as the senior joint convener of the party. However, the person who started the controversy on Facebook is not being given any position in the new party for the time being.

Meanwhile, Abu Baker Majumder and Zahid Ahsan, former coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement, may take the top two positions in the central committee of the student organization of the new political party. And former coordinators Abdul Quader and Sanjana Afifa Aditi may lead the organization's Dhaka University branch.

At least seven coordinators who were at the forefront of the anti-discrimination student movement during the July Uprising held a press conference in front of the Madhur Canteen of Dhaka University on February 17 to give an idea about this new organization. They said that the policy of this student organization will be 'Students First' and 'Bangladesh First'. They will work to implement the interests of students and citizens. However, this student organization will have no connection with the anti-discrimination student movement.

Mae Sot is a quiet town in northwestern Thailand. Crossing the Mai River to the west is the Myanmar city of Myawaddy where all the terrible scam call centers have been set up. People from different countries have been kidnapped there including Bangladeshis.

These scam centers in Myanmar are running with the help of Thailand's electricity and using the mobile network. Last January, the gang also kidnapped a Chinese actor. Since then, the Thai authorities have also been in a fight with the Chinese government. All illegal electricity connections were disconnected and the internet was disconnected. Efforts were taken to destroy the scam centers there.

Then, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army launched an operation from across the border and freed 261 prisoners in the first phase and sent them to Thailand. In total, the Myanmar junta army estimates that about 10,000 foreigners will be freed from Myawaddy and surrounding areas.

It was learned from those who were rescued that the scam centers are owned by Chinese businessmen. They have the local armed forces of Myanmar.

Junaid waiting for friends-

In November, 2024 Bangladeshi youth Junaid fled from Myawaddy by crossing the Mai River. He described to Barta 24 how he was tortured there with electric shocks, tied up and beaten. When he was freed, he saw 12 more Bangladeshis in the same complex. Later, he returned to Thailand to free his friends.

On Friday, February 21, 2025, he told Barta24 that so far we have learned that 2 Bangladeshis have been rescued from scam centers.

Junaid and his 3 friends were planning to travel to Thailand from Dubai for three months. There, a Bangladeshi youth told them that there was a job opportunity in Thailand for 3 months. As a result, they could earn money while traveling.

However, in September, they were directly handed over to a scam center gang in Thailand.

Junaid said, the day we landed in Bangkok, we were taken across the border to Myanmar that night. They took our passports and mobile phones. If we asked any questions or protested, they would take us to a torture cell and beat us. If we were sick or could do less work, they would take us to a torture cell and beat us.

Junaid got a chance to leave the camp and go to the hospital in November. That day, he was able to escape to Thailand by swimming in the river. Later, at the request of the families of the imprisoned Bangladeshis, he came to Thailand again to find a way to rescue them.

What kind of work is done at the scam center?

Junaid told Barta24 that these are basically scam call centers. There, AI is used to lure internet users by posing as women. Then, when the banking channel is known or the money is extorted from the internet users by saying that they are investing.

He said, when we were taken there after being kidnapped, we were made to sign a contract at gunpoint. It was said that we would not be able to leave here before one and a half years. And we would have to earn about 15 thousand dollars every month. If we could not earn, inhuman torture and electric shocks would follow.

Junaid said, one day I was able to bring up to 15 thousand dollars at a time from an American client. We were initially trained for 21 days for this work.

In addition, if someone was not skilled in the work or became almost incapacitated due to torture, their body parts would be removed and sold, an Ethiopian prisoner told local media.

How many Bangladeshis are there?

It is difficult to get accurate information about the exact number of Bangladeshis detained there. Again, many people lose themselves in the world of crime while working in this scam center. They do not return. Again, those who can earn more for the scam center, the owners do not easily release them.

Junaid said that in the building where he was imprisoned, there were 12 Bangladeshis besides him. Of these, one has been released. 8 more are left.

The largest number of those released is Chinese citizens. Then there are citizens of various African countries including Ethiopia. Then there are citizens of various Indian and South Asian countries.

Bangladesh Embassy sources in Bangkok said that so far two Bangladeshis have been rescued. Among the 264 people who were rescued at first, 2 were Bangladeshis. They were sent back to Bangladesh that same day.

The embassy official said that so far we have received information about 24 people. We initially received information about nine people. Among those rescued, 1 was on our list. Another is off the list. This matter is being viewed with the utmost importance. He mentioned that all stakeholders are being talked to.