Honourbale Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that Bangladesh is discussing free trade agreements with 11 countries as the youngest nation in South Asian seeks new means to promote exports once preferential tariff exemptions expire in three years. She came up with the information in an exclusive interview with a leading Japanese outlet, ahead of her upcoming visit to Japan at the invitation of her Japanese counterpart. During the visit , HPM Sheikh Hasina and Japanese Premier Fumio Kishida are expected to agree to upgrade bilateral ties to a "strategic comprehensive partnership." This comes as Japan ramps up infrastructure investment in the strategically situated country on the shores of the Indian Ocean, according to Nekki Asian Review.

Bangladesh emerged as the second most improved country in terms of terrorism impact in South Asia as it has jumped down two notches to the 43rd rank among 163 countries, according to the latest edition of the Global Terrorism Index (GTI). Bangladesh received a score of 3.827 on the GTI index. The calculation of the score takes into account the deaths, incidents, hostages, and injuries caused by terrorism, weighted over a five-year period. The GTI scores each country on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 represents no impact on terrorism and 10 represents the highest measurable impact of terrorism. A higher rank with a lower score indicates a lower impact on terrorism.

Female labour force participation in rural areas has increased significantly in Bangladesh thanks to women's growing involvement in the agriculture sector and urban-rural migration brought on by the global coronavirus pandemic. In 2016, the female labour force participation rate in rural areas was 38.6% while in 2022, it shot up to 50.89%, shows the latest edition of the Labour Force Survey that came out last month. Activities that are related to crops and livestock but occur outside of the field such as processing, packaging and other forms of value addition are termed off-farm activities.

Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of Muslims, marked a return to normal in Bangladesh as Muslims took part in prayer congregations across the country after a two-year gap due to the pandemic. On the eve of the Eid, HPM Sheikh Hasina in a video message, greeted the nation, saying: "Wish all you be well and safe, Eid Mubarak." The premier called upon all to share the joy of Eid to be observed with near and dear ones and the poor and distressed people of the society. In an earlier message, she also directed all her party leaders and activists to reach out people at grassroots and stand by helpless people.

In response to pleas of families of hundreds of war heroes who were reportedly killed at the behest of country’s first military dictator General Ziaur Rhaman, HPM Sheikh Hasina said her government must hold the trials of the mass killings of military officials during the regime of Gen Ziaur and the arson terrorism sponsored by the BNP-Jamaat clique from 2013 to 2015. "I have no word to console you. I am one of you as I heard one day that I have nothing (after assassination of her parents and brothers)... (some) culprits had already got punishment, (some) are getting it and (the remaining others) will face the music," she said. She was exchanging Eid greetings with family members of military officers and soldiers killed during the regime of military dictator Ziaur Rahman, family members of the persons killed and injured in the arson terrorism by the BNP-Jamaat clique from 2013 to 2015.

HPM Sheikh Hasina has provided financial assistance to the employees, traders and shop owners affected by a massive fire at the capital’s Bangabazar marketplace. According to media reports, the assistance has already been sent to the affected via mobile financial services. A devastating fire gutted shops at Bangabazar, one of the biggest clothing markets in Dhaka, on Feb 4. In the wake of a recent bout of similar fire incidents at several markets ahead of Eid-ul-Fitar, investigation has already been underway to find out links to investigate whether the opposition BNP and Jamaat are involved in the recent fire incidents. Recalling the arson by the BNP-Jamaat clique, which unleashed a reign of terror and arson attacks during 2013-14, the premier suspected that they might take another route to harm the economy.