Around 30 teenagers were allegedly forced to squat while holding their ears by Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) executive member Sarmitra Chakma for playing on the university’s central playground. The incident, captured in a video that spread on social media on January 25, 2026, sparked widespread criticism and allegations of abuse of power. Witnesses said the video was recorded on January 6, showing Chakma holding a stick and reprimanding the boys, aged roughly 8 to 20, for being outsiders.

University officials and student leaders reacted with concern. The acting director of the Physical Education Centre called the act irregular and an abuse of authority if true. The university proctor said he was unaware of the video but noted that playing on the field requires permission. DUCSU General Secretary S.M. Farhad stated that no union representative has the right to exercise power or use force and promised action if any overreach occurred.

The video’s circulation triggered strong reactions online, with many users condemning the act as misconduct and demanding an investigation.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Traffic Division conducted a citywide operation on Saturday, January 24, filing 1,502 cases against traffic law violators across various areas of the capital. The information was confirmed in a press release signed by Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Talebur Rahman of the DMP Media and Public Relations Department on Sunday, January 25.

According to DMP traffic sources, the breakdown of cases includes 73 in Ramna, 112 in Lalbagh, 189 in Motijheel, 95 in Wari, 145 in Tejgaon, 696 in Mirpur, 89 in Uttara, and 103 in Gulshan. During the operation, 362 vehicles were dumped and 150 were towed by wreckers.

The press release stated that the DMP Traffic Division will continue its operations to maintain traffic discipline across the Dhaka metropolitan area.

Armed assailants in Gazipur robbed Tk 2.4 million from two agent banking employees of Dutch-Bangla Bank on Sunday afternoon. The incident occurred around 4:15 p.m. near Kazim Uddin Chowdhury High School at Chandna Chowrasta in Gazipur city. According to Basan Police Station Officer-in-Charge Harun-or-Rashid, the robbers fired shots and detonated crude bombs to create panic before assaulting the two employees and seizing the money bag.

The victims, manager Habibur Rahman and his assistant Sohrab, were transporting the cash by motorcycle from the bank’s Bhogra Bypass agent banking outlet to its Chandna Chowrasta branch when the attack took place. The robbers, riding two to three motorcycles, intercepted them, carried out the assault, and fled the scene with the money.

Police visited the scene shortly after the incident and have launched an operation to apprehend the culprits, according to the local police official.

The prosecution has sought the maximum punishment for the accused in the murder of Begum Rokeya University student Abu Sayeed during the anti-discrimination student movement. The arguments were presented before the two-member International Crimes Tribunal-2, led by Md. Manjurul Bashid, where Prosecutor Mizanul Islam made the plea on behalf of the prosecution team that includes Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam and Gazi M.H. Tamim.

The tribunal had earlier, on June 30, accepted formal charges against 30 accused, including the university’s former vice-chancellor Hasibur Rashid. Among them, six are in custody, including former proctor Shariful Islam, former assistant registrar Rafiul Hasan Russell, former police officers Amir Hossain and Sujon Chandra Roy, and banned student leader Imran Chowdhury alias Akash. A total of 25 witnesses, including the investigating officer, have testified in the case.

Abu Sayeed, a 25-year-old English department student and coordinator of the quota reform movement, was shot dead by police near the university on July 16, sparking nationwide outrage and intensifying the student protests.

Two individuals, including a Jubo League leader, were arrested in separate army operations in Barishal’s Gouranadi and Agailjhara upazilas. The raids, conducted on Saturday, led to the recovery of yaba tablets, bullets, and locally made weapons. Separate cases were filed against the detainees, and on Sunday, a court ordered them to be sent to jail.

According to Gouranadi Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Tariq Hasan Russel, army personnel from the temporary Gouranadi camp arrested 37-year-old Raihan Fakir, a member of the Gouranadi municipal Jubo League, from the Kosba area. Authorities seized 103 yaba tablets, 180 rounds of airgun bullets, and local weapons from him. In another operation in Agailjhara’s Ratnapur area, 22-year-old Miraj Hossain was detained with 57 yaba tablets, about 100 grams of cannabis, drug paraphernalia, and local weapons. Agailjhara Police Station Officer-in-Charge Masud Khan confirmed the arrest.

Both suspects were produced before court on Sunday and subsequently sent to jail following the court’s order.

Bagerhat Sadar Upazila Chhatra League president Saddam Hossain did not receive parole release, sparking widespread discussion in media and social platforms. District Commissioner Golam Md. Baten explained that a parole application reached his residence on Friday. After notifying prison authorities, he was informed that since Saddam is imprisoned outside the district, granting parole would violate the 2016 Prison Act. The applicants were informed and expressed satisfaction before leaving, and no further contact was made.

Saddam’s uncle, Md. Hemayet Uddin, said a written application for parole was submitted on January 23 to the district magistrate, who directed it to the Bagerhat jail authority. They clarified they had no jurisdiction and advised applying to the prison where the accused is held. Later, when the family brought the bodies to Jessore jail, Saddam was allowed to view them for only three minutes.

Earlier, Saddam’s wife Kaniz Subarna Swarnali allegedly drowned their nine-month-old child before taking her own life in Bagerhat’s Sabekdanga village. Saddam, arrested after the fall of the Awami League government, remains in Jessore Central Jail facing multiple cases.

Widespread protests broke out across the United States after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer fatally shot an American citizen named Alex Pretty in Minneapolis on Saturday. The incident marked the second death of a US citizen in the city this month involving ICE officers. The shooting occurred a day after about 10,000 people demonstrated in Minneapolis against the Trump administration’s strict anti-immigration operations.

Following the shooting, hundreds of protesters gathered at the scene, prompting ICE officers to fire tear gas and flashbang grenades. Demonstrations soon spread beyond Minneapolis to New York, Washington DC, and San Francisco. Federal officials claimed Pretty had a firearm, but local leaders questioned that assertion.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz described the incident as horrific and said the federal government could not be trusted to investigate it. He and other local officials demanded an immediate halt to anti-immigration operations.

In Rajshahi Division, 92 firearms and over 11,000 rounds of ammunition looted from police stations during the July 2024 uprising remain missing, according to police sources. Despite administrative optimism about holding a fair 13th parliamentary election, local officials and security analysts warn that the unrecovered weapons pose a serious challenge. The Rajshahi Range DIG acknowledged that the missing arms could influence the upcoming polls, while the divisional commissioner maintained that logistical issues were manageable.

Experts and civic voices expressed deep concern over the situation. Rajshahi University’s Professor Mahmudul Haque described the missing weapons as a national security risk, noting that civilian possession of arms could destabilize the election environment. Social worker Nasrin Begum warned that fear among voters might reduce turnout, and political analyst Anwar Hossain said the integrity of the election could be questioned if the weapons remain unrecovered.

Analysts urged stronger joint operations to recover the arms, emphasizing that without decisive action and accountability, public trust and electoral safety could be severely undermined.

Abul Hasnat, the leader of the active teen gang 'Hasnat Bahini' in Cox’s Bazar, was arrested by the Bangladesh Army early Sunday morning. The arrest took place around 5:30 a.m. at his home in the South Rumaliachhara area of Cox’s Bazar town. During the raid, the army recovered two locally made sharp weapons and 50 grams of marijuana. The army confirmed the arrest in an official statement and later handed Hasnat over to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Police Station.

According to the report, Abul Hasnat is accused in 19 criminal cases, including one for murder, three for illegal arms, six for robbery, and nine for other offenses. The army’s statement claimed that Hasnat and his followers had long been involved in criminal activities across Cox’s Bazar town and the beach area. Intelligence surveillance had been ongoing to capture the group.

An army official stated that regular operations will continue to apprehend similar teen gang members involved in drug and terrorism-related crimes.

The third day of arguments in the murder case of Begum Rokeya University student Abu Sayeed, known as the first martyr of the July Revolution, is scheduled to take place today. The hearing is being held at International Crimes Tribunal-2, chaired by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, with two other members—retired district and sessions judge Md. Manjurul Basid and district and sessions judge Nur Mohammad Shahriar Kabir. The prosecution is set to present all evidence and documents related to the case.

On January 22, Prosecutor Mizanul Islam presented witness testimonies, seized evidence, and investigation documents before the tribunal, asserting that the evidence clearly established the direct involvement of the accused. The court then set today’s date for the continuation of the arguments.

The current phase of the case began on January 21 with the prosecution’s opening arguments. After the prosecution completes its presentation, defense lawyers will begin their arguments before the tribunal.

A U.S. citizen was shot dead by an immigration officer in Minneapolis, sparking renewed protests across the city. Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the 37-year-old victim, identified as Alex Pretty, died in hospital after being shot on Saturday. Pretty, a Minneapolis resident, worked as a nurse in an intensive care unit. Demonstrators have called for the withdrawal of heavily armed federal forces from the city.

Federal agents and immigration officers have been deployed in Minneapolis for several weeks as part of an anti-illegal immigration campaign. The latest killing follows the January 7 death of 37-year-old Renee Good, who was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer inside a vehicle, triggering daily protests. Last week, a Venezuelan national was also injured in a separate shooting incident.

The repeated shootings have intensified public anger and sustained demonstrations, with protesters demanding accountability and the removal of federal agents from Minneapolis streets.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained 21 Bangladeshi nationals, including men, women, and children, while they were attempting to cross into India illegally through the Maheshpur border in Jhenaidah. The operation took place on Friday from morning to evening across the Baghdanga, Kumillapara, and Khosalpur border outposts under the 58 BGB battalion. Assistant Director Munshi Imdadur Rahman confirmed the arrests.

Among those detained were eight men, seven women, and six children from various districts including Jhenaidah, Madaripur, and Gopalganj. In separate operations at Rajapur and Kumillapara border areas, BGB also seized 36 bottles of Indian Phensedyl, 90 bottles of other drug syrups, and several items such as bangles, earrings, necklaces, and cosmetics.

Following the operation, all detainees were handed over to Maheshpur Police Station for further legal procedures, according to BGB officials.

A student was killed and another person injured when a truck hit their motorcycle in the Shanir Akhra area of Jatrabari, Dhaka, late on Saturday night, January 24. The deceased, Khairul Hossain Kamrul, 20, was a second-year student at Vashantek Government College. The injured, Md. Yasin, 27, was riding with him when the accident occurred. Witness Mahadi Islam said a chicken-laden truck struck their motorcycle, causing both to fall and sustain serious injuries. Locals took them to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where Khairul died around 11 p.m. while undergoing treatment.

Khairul was the son of Md. Harunur Rashid from Mahinanda Majhpara village in Kishoreganj Sadar upazila and lived in Vashantek for his studies. Inspector Md. Faruk, in charge of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital police outpost, confirmed the incident and said the body was kept in the hospital morgue. Police are investigating the case.

Authorities have yet to release further details about the truck or its driver as the investigation continues.

A Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officer was killed and two others were seriously injured during a violent mob attack in Sitakunda’s Jungle Salimpur area, about 12 kilometers from Chattogram city, on January 19. The incident occurred when a 16-member RAB-7 team conducted an operation targeting suspected armed groups. Deputy Assistant Director Abdul Motaleb, 45, was beaten to death after being captured, while two other RAB members and a source sustained severe injuries. Videos obtained by the newspaper show Motaleb being brutally assaulted by multiple attackers inside a room.

According to RAB officials, the operation had been planned for two months amid reports of growing influence of armed groups in the area. The violence erupted after RAB members arrested two suspects, including a man named Yasin, during a gathering of over 150 people. The crowd quickly turned hostile, and more than 300 attackers joined the assault. Police later rescued four RAB members from Nizampur, three kilometers away, all bearing signs of severe physical assault but no gunshot wounds.

Authorities confirmed that the area has long been under the control of rival armed groups, and the attack has intensified concerns over law enforcement safety in the region.

Authorities in Kapasia upazila of Gazipur recovered 11 live horses and meat from eight slaughtered horses from the home of Jahangir Alam, identified by locals as the organizational secretary of the upazila Jubo League. The operation took place late Friday night in Mask village under Durgapur Union after residents noticed suspicious activity and gathered at the scene. Those allegedly involved in the slaughter fled before locals arrived.

As tensions rose, residents vandalized a pickup truck and set a covered van on fire before police intervened to restore order. Locals alleged that Jahangir Alam had long been involved in illegal horse meat trading under the guise of a cattle farm. Following the fall of the previous government, he reportedly returned to the area under local political protection.

Assistant Commissioner (Local Government and Treasury) and Executive Magistrate Md. Faisal confirmed that the slaughtered horse meat was found buried, while the live horses were placed under the custody of the Durgapur Union Parishad chairman. The seized vehicles were handed over to police custody.