Police in Indian-administered Kashmir have begun distributing a four-page form titled “profiling of mosques,” requesting extensive details about mosques and their staff. The form seeks information on sect affiliation, funding sources, land ownership, and personal data such as mobile numbers, bank accounts, and relatives abroad. Similar forms have been sent to religious schools, prompting fears among residents that the exercise represents increased surveillance and state control over Muslim institutions.

The Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema, Kashmir’s largest Islamic religious body, condemned the move as an intrusion into sacred spaces and a violation of religious freedom. Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and the National Conference party also criticized the profiling as discriminatory and fear-inducing. Police actions come amid heightened central control following the 2019 revocation of Article 370, which stripped the region of its autonomy. The BJP defended the initiative, citing the need for transparency and security, arguing that mosques had previously been used for political mobilization.

Analysts and local clerics warned that the profiling could erode trust and deepen community tensions, with some fearing further restrictions on religious practices in the region.

Eight countries from the Middle East and Asia have announced plans to join United States President Donald Trump’s “board of peace” in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the goal of achieving a permanent ceasefire in the war-torn enclave. The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar made the announcement in a joint statement on Wednesday, reaffirming support for Trump’s peace efforts. The board’s mission includes consolidating a lasting ceasefire, supporting Gaza’s reconstruction, and advancing a peace process based on Palestinian self-determination and statehood under international law.

The announcement follows the White House’s recent unveiling of the board’s composition, part of Trump’s 20-point plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza. The board includes senior Trump advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and will oversee a Palestinian technocratic committee managing daily affairs in Gaza. However, Palestinians and observers have expressed doubts about the mechanism’s effectiveness and criticized the inclusion of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 466 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since a US-brokered ceasefire took effect in October.

The United Kingdom has initiated formal discussions and a public consultation process to consider a complete ban on social media use for individuals under sixteen. The move, announced by Technology Minister Liz Kendall in the House of Commons, aims to safeguard children’s mental health and online safety. The consultation will run for three months, gathering opinions from parents, youth, and civil society representatives.

As part of the initiative, several measures are under consideration. These include making British schools ‘phone-free’ by default, empowering the education inspection body Ofsted to monitor compliance with phone-use policies, and requiring technology companies to remove addictive features or algorithms from their platforms. The proposal has gained attention following advocacy by Esther Gher, mother of teenager Briana Gher, who recently died by suicide.

The report notes that Australia became the first country to implement a similar ban in December 2025, providing a precedent for the UK’s current deliberations.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided that Bangladesh must play its 2026 T20 World Cup matches in India as originally scheduled. The decision came after a video conference board meeting where the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) requested to move its matches to Sri Lanka citing security concerns. The ICC board, by majority opinion, concluded that there was no credible threat to Bangladeshi players, officials, media, or fans at any Indian venue and that altering the schedule so close to the tournament would harm the event’s integrity.

The dispute began when Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released from the Indian Premier League by Kolkata Knight Riders under instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India, prompting BCB’s reluctance to send its team to India. Pakistan supported Bangladesh’s position, but the ICC maintained that its venue and scheduling decisions are based on neutral threat assessments and host assurances. The ICC emphasized that no verified security risk exists and that changing venues would undermine fairness and logistical stability.

Bangladesh has been given 24 hours to confirm whether it will participate under the existing schedule, leaving its final decision pending.

Fresh allegations have surfaced that some officials of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications are using their influence over affiliated agencies to secure foreign trips funded by those agencies. Questions have arisen within the administration and policymaking circles about the legality of such trips, as they are conducted without ministry budget allocations. The issue has drawn sharp criticism following recent visits to Azerbaijan and Germany by ministry officials whose expenses were covered by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

Documents show that two ministry officials received about USD 3,816 each for the Azerbaijan trip, funded from BTRC’s 2025–26 foreign expenditure account. Another controversy emerged when an administrative joint secretary joined a technical inspection trip to Germany, raising doubts about his role in a specialized engineering task. Insiders claim that ministry pressure determines who gets nominated for foreign travel, leaving agencies dependent and constrained.

Officials from the ministry and BTRC defended the trips, citing knowledge sharing and contractual obligations. However, critics argue that such practices violate government circulars restricting foreign travel before the upcoming national election, highlighting a widening gap between official directives and actual conduct.

Police in Ramu upazila of Cox’s Bazar arrested two suspected robbers early Wednesday night while they were allegedly preparing for a robbery. The operation took place around 3 a.m. on January 21 in the Lamapara area of Kawarkhop Union’s Ward No. 7. Law enforcement recovered a large cache of sharp weapons and tools from the scene. The arrests were confirmed by Cox’s Bazar District Police spokesperson and Additional Superintendent of Police Alok Biswas later that evening.

According to police, a team from Ramu Police Station acted on a tip-off that 10 to 15 robbers had gathered near the mosque pond area west of the chairman’s house in Kawarkhop Union to plan a robbery. When police arrived, the suspects attempted to flee, but two individuals—Mehedi Hasan, 20, and Jasim Uddin, 22—were detained. Both are residents of Lot Ukhia’s Ghona area in Kawarkhop Union.

Police said a variety of weapons, including machetes, knives, iron hammers, Chinese axes, lock cutters, pliers, and chain-linked iron tools, were recovered. Legal action has been initiated against the two detainees.

U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his interest in Greenland during a speech at the World Economic Forum, calling for “immediate discussions” over control of the world’s largest island. He emphasized that he does not intend to use force, saying he neither wants nor needs to do so. Trump also remarked that Europe is “not going in the right direction” and expressed his wish to see it improve.

Trump stated that he holds “immense respect” for the people of Greenland and Denmark but described Greenland as vast, sparsely populated, and underdeveloped. He claimed the United States has been attempting to purchase Greenland for nearly two centuries and argued that Denmark has “no trace” there. According to him, only the United States can ensure the island’s security and development.

Referring indirectly to NATO, Trump said that while the U.S. could be unstoppable if it chose to use excessive force, it would not take that path. He concluded that what America seeks is simply “a place called Greenland.”

U.S. President Donald Trump said that tariffs imposed by his administration were targeted only at countries with which the United States has trade deficits. Speaking at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump described the decision as fair and claimed that most people understand the reasoning behind it. He acknowledged that some have been negatively affected but maintained that the overall policy was justified.

Trump also stated that in some cases, tariff rates had been reduced. He cited Switzerland as an example, noting that an initial 30 percent tariff was later lowered because he did not want to cause harm to people. During his remarks, Trump further asserted that the United States is sustaining the entire world.

The comments, reported by the BBC, reflect Trump’s continued defense of his trade policies on the global stage, emphasizing fairness and national interest as key motivations behind the tariff measures.

Five police officers have been withdrawn and transferred to Hatiya upazila after two Awami League leaders, both under trial, hosted a family feast inside the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court lockup in Noakhali. The incident occurred on January 19, when the detainees’ families gathered in the women’s lockup area during a court appearance. The event, locally known as a ‘beyakhana,’ was arranged with the cooperation of on-duty police personnel.

Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration and Finance) Abu Tayeb Md Arif Hossain confirmed the withdrawal on Wednesday night, citing the need for an impartial investigation. The withdrawn officers include two assistant town sub-inspectors and three constables. Following the order of Superintendent of Police T.M. Mosharraf Hossain, a three-member inquiry committee was formed to submit its report by January 26.

The two detained leaders—Azam Pasha Chowdhury Rumel of Companiganj Upazila Jubo League and Advocate Saif Uddin Ahmed of Hatiya Awami League—are accused in multiple murder and explosives cases. The incident has drawn widespread attention across the country.

A mobile court of the Department of Environment conducted an operation in Jhenaidah’s Shailkupa upazila on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, demolishing the chimneys of four illegal brick kilns and imposing fines totaling Tk 2 million. The operation was led by Executive Magistrate Momtaz Begum from the Khulna Divisional Office of the Department of Environment. Two of the brick kilns were located in Kumiradah area and two in Dudhsar area.

According to the Department of Environment, the drive was carried out under the overall direction of the Khulna Divisional Director and organized by the Jhenaidah District Office. Each kiln was fined Tk 500,000 for operating without authorization, and written undertakings were taken from the owners pledging not to resume operations. The chimneys were demolished using excavators.

Officials from the Jhenaidah office, including Assistant Director Md. Muntasir Rahman, along with police and Ansar Battalion members, were present during the operation.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s central Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher has described the upcoming national election as highly challenging. Speaking on Wednesday afternoon at a views-exchange meeting in Chauddagram, Comilla, with former chairmen, commissioners, and members of thirteen unions, he said that Bangladesh achieved freedom from what he termed Indian subjugation through a revolution on August 5, fifty-four years after independence.

Dr. Taher stated that although Bangladesh had territorial sovereignty, successive governments had accepted subordination to India. He claimed that the youth of the country had shed blood to free Bangladesh from Indian dominance, calling it the nation’s “second independence” and the beginning of a new Bangladesh. He also said that during his tenure in power from 2001 to 2006, he did not engage in corruption, but was arrested on false charges and later certified as corruption-free by the authorities.

The remarks were made in the context of Jamaat’s ongoing political activities ahead of the next national election, which Dr. Taher characterized as a critical national challenge.

Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) Director General Faruk Wasif has alleged that Sheikh Hasina came to power not for the welfare of the nation or its people, but to fulfill family vengeance and take revenge on the citizens. He made the remarks on Wednesday morning while inaugurating a two-day training workshop on election-time journalism for media workers in Cox’s Bazar, held at the District Council auditorium.

Emphasizing responsible, objective, and public-interest journalism during elections, Wasif criticized what he called 'broker journalism' for repeatedly undermining national achievements. He warned that new attempts to create misleading narratives could question democracy and the electoral process. He also highlighted Cox’s Bazar’s historical importance and the sacrifices made during the 1971 Liberation War and the recent July uprising, stressing the media’s vital role in protecting these gains.

Wasif further alleged that fascist elements have infiltrated the achievements of the July uprising and that manipulative journalism has previously enabled state repression. He criticized the media’s past role, claiming that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s politics became limited after BAKSAL and that Sheikh Hasina’s retaliatory politics pushed the country toward a one-party state using the media as a tool.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has expelled Sadiqur Rahman Shubho, joint general secretary of Melandah upazila BNP in Jamalpur, for violating party discipline and engaging in anti-organizational activities. The expulsion was announced on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, through a notice signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

According to the notice, Sadiqur Rahman was expelled from all party positions and his primary membership for contesting the Jamalpur-3 (Melandah-Madarganj) constituency as an independent candidate under the “cup and saucer” symbol. He had sought the BNP nomination for the seat, but the party chose central committee assistant secretary Mostafizur Rahman Babul instead. Two other aspirants accepted the decision, but Sadiqur proceeded independently.

The BNP directive also instructed party leaders and activists not to maintain any organizational contact with Sadiqur Rahman following his expulsion.

Barrister Arman, son of executed war crimes convict Mir Quasem Ali, testified before International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Wednesday as the first witness in a case concerning enforced disappearance and torture at the Rapid Action Battalion’s Taskforce for Interrogation (TFI) cell. He alleged that on August 9, 2016, armed men abducted him from his home and held him in secret detention for eight years. During his confinement, he was blindfolded, handcuffed, and subjected to severe physical and psychological abuse. Arman said his weight was measured upon arrival, and he was told later that he had narrowly escaped execution.

His testimony implicated former prime minister Hasina and 12 current and former army officers among 17 accused in the case. Arman described the TFI cell conditions, identifying it as part of the RAB-1 compound under the RAB Intelligence Wing. He recounted being kept in a damp cell, hearing other detainees’ screams, and suffering from illness and suspected poisoning. He said he was eventually released near Uttara’s Diabari area after years of captivity.

The tribunal, chaired by Golam Mortuza Mojumdar, recorded his statement as part of ongoing proceedings into alleged abductions and torture under the previous government.

Authorities in Rupganj, Narayanganj sealed a flat owned by former National Telecommunication Monitoring Center (NTMC) Director General Major General (Retd.) Ziaul Ahsan and his wife Nusrat Jahan. The operation was conducted on Wednesday afternoon by Narayanganj District RDC and Executive Magistrate Shahriar Parvez. The sealed property is located in the Jalsiri Project’s Sector 12, Road 506, Plot 14, in an eight-story building named Joyita. Other flats in the building were not sealed as tenants were present.

According to the report, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case against Ziaul Ahsan and his wife on January 23 of the previous year. The case alleges abuse of power, illegal wealth accumulation, and suspicious transactions worth about Tk 120 crore under Nusrat Jahan’s name. It also claims that Ahsan amassed Tk 22.28 crore in illegal assets, deposited USD 55,000 beyond permitted limits, and conducted irregular transactions through eight active bank accounts.

The allegations state that Ahsan misused his authority while serving as NTMC chief, violating anti-corruption, penal, and money laundering laws.