A man named Shawkat Ali was arrested by an army task force in Rangunia upazila of Chattogram early Wednesday. The arrest took place in the Chara Bottola area of Chandraghona Kadamtali Union. According to officials, Shawkat Ali, son of Gul Box from the same area, was detained but the weapon seen in his viral photo was not recovered. Major Tanvir of the 34 Construction Brigade Army Camp confirmed the arrest and said the suspect has multiple cases against him and was handed over to the police.

Authorities stated that Shawkat Ali had been moving around publicly with illegal firearms for a long time. His recent photo holding a weapon went viral on social media, drawing the attention of law enforcement. Following this, the army’s Task Force-4 and the 34 Engineer Construction Brigade conducted the early morning operation that led to his capture.

The arrest highlights the growing role of social media in prompting law enforcement actions in rural areas like Rangunia.

A young man named Md. Roni, 22, was injured by gunfire from India’s Border Security Force (BSF) near the Gotamari border area of Hatibandha upazila in Lalmonirhat. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) rescued him and sent him to Rangpur Medical College Hospital, where doctors said his condition is currently stable. The incident occurred around 12:10 a.m. on Tuesday when a BGB patrol from the Daikhawa Border Outpost heard gunshots near border pillar 902 and found several people running, including one injured person being moved from the site.

BGB later identified the injured man as Roni, a resident of Gotamari Union, and claimed he was involved in drug trafficking in the area. According to BGB, Roni had previously been injured by BSF birdshot on December 22 and had gone into hiding afterward. Authorities said legal proceedings are underway against him under the Passport Act and for illegal border crossing.

Lieutenant Colonel Mehedi Imam, commanding officer of the 15 BGB Battalion, expressed concern over continued illegal activities despite repeated warnings and urged local residents and representatives to cooperate in preventing smuggling and drug trafficking along the border.

A joint operation by the army and police in Ramu upazila of Cox’s Bazar led to the recovery of a large quantity of illegal weapons and ammunition early Wednesday morning. Acting on a tip-off, the raid was conducted around 6:30 a.m. in Thoingakata Samarghona area under Ward 3 of Gorjonia Union. The seized items included a locally made gun, two rusted pistols, six Chinese rifle bullets, forty-nine pistol bullets, four used shotgun shells, parts of a large gun butt, two long machetes, a toy pistol, two button mobile phones, and a cutter. The weapons were confiscated around 7:30 a.m.

Police arrested a 20-year-old woman named Ayesha Begum Riya from the scene. Preliminary questioning indicated that the recovered weapons might be linked to a local organized criminal group, according to police statements. Other suspects managed to flee during the operation.

Authorities confirmed that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining fugitives and further investigate the network behind the seized arms.

A Dhaka court has ordered the seizure of 53 bank accounts belonging to Faisal Karim Masud, the main accused in the murder of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inquilab Moncho. The accounts contain a total of 6,550,246 taka. The order was issued on Wednesday, January 7, by Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Sabbir Foyez following a petition from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

According to the CID’s application, Sub-Inspector Abdul Latif, the investigating officer, sought to freeze the accounts as part of an ongoing investigation into money laundering allegations linked to the murder. The case involves the shooting death of Hadi on Box Culvert Road in Purana Paltan, Dhaka. Authorities are also investigating other individuals and organizations suspected of involvement.

The court’s order marks a significant step in the financial investigation accompanying the murder case, as law enforcement continues to trace possible money laundering connections related to the accused and his associates.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 has postponed the hearing on the formation of formal charges against Sajib Wazed Joy, son of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her ICT adviser, and former State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak. The new date for the hearing has been set for January 11. The two are accused of crimes against humanity, including shutting down the internet during the so-called July Revolution. The order was issued by tribunal member Shafiul Alam Mahmood, with Palak produced before the court from prison.

The hearing was originally scheduled for today but was delayed because the state-appointed lawyer for fugitive accused Joy had not yet received the necessary authorization letter. Chief Prosecutor Tazul Islam, along with prosecutors Mizanul Islam and Gazi M.H. Tamim, represented the prosecution, while Liton Ahmed appeared for Palak. Earlier, on December 4, arrest warrants were issued against both accused, and Joy was later declared absconding after failing to appear.

The tribunal had previously appointed a state defense lawyer for Joy on December 17 after public notices failed to secure his appearance. The next hearing will determine whether formal charges will be framed against the two accused.

Police recovered the body of an unidentified young man from a pond near Daulatpur Mosque in Kutubpur, under Narayanganj Sadar upazila, on Wednesday morning around 9 a.m. The body, believed to be of a man aged between 25 and 26 years, was found without any clothing, according to police reports.

Fatullah Model Police Station Sub-Inspector Milon Fakir stated that the body was recovered after receiving information from locals. No one in the area recognized the deceased. A bag containing clothes was found on the bank of the pond. The police prepared an inquest report and sent the body to the hospital for autopsy. Efforts are underway to identify the victim.

Authorities have not yet determined the cause of death, and police said the investigation will continue until the man’s identity and circumstances of death are confirmed.

A report from Kurigram recalls the tragic killing of a 13 or 14-year-old Bangladeshi girl named Felani, who was shot dead by an Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldier while crossing the border near pillar 947 at Phulbari’s Uttar Anantapur area. The incident occurred as her father, Nurul Islam, attempted to bring her home from Delhi through brokers without valid travel documents. The girl, wearing a red sweater, was found hanging on the barbed wire fence after being struck by a bullet fired by BSF member Amiya Ghosh.

The article describes Felani’s background as the eldest daughter of a poor family who had gone to India to work and support her parents and siblings. After a year of labor in Delhi, she was returning home for marriage when the fatal shooting occurred. The report portrays the event as a symbol of border violence and human tragedy.

According to the report, fifteen years after the killing, no justice has been served, leaving the case unresolved and the memory of Felani’s death a painful reminder for border residents.

A student died after falling from the roof of a madrasa while trying to escape in Kaliakoir upazila of Gazipur on Wednesday morning. The incident occurred at Safiatul Ummah Hifz Model Madrasa in the Safipur area. According to local sources, the student, Alif Hasan, fell from the roof and was seriously injured. Madrasa authorities and locals rescued him and took him to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Police said Alif, son of Shahid Shah of Kouchakuri village in Kaliakoir, had previously attempted to flee the madrasa several times. On Wednesday morning, he reportedly tried to climb down a pipe from the roof when he accidentally fell. His body was being sent to Gazipur Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Following the incident, the victim’s family and other guardians accused the madrasa authorities of negligence and lack of safety measures, expressing anger over the death.

A businessman named Shahabuddin, aged 40, was killed in an attack by miscreants in Dhaka’s Kadamtali area on Tuesday night. The incident occurred around 10 p.m. in the Kudar Bazar area, where Shahabuddin, who ran a gas cylinder business, was assaulted with sharp weapons. He was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition and declared dead by doctors at 11 p.m.

According to his elder brother, Mahiyuddin, Shahabuddin previously ran a scrap business in the Kadamtali-Jurain area and had started the gas cylinder business two months ago. He said the family was unaware of who attacked his brother or why. Police confirmed the death and said the body was kept at the hospital morgue.

Kadamtali Police Inspector (Investigation) Shafayet Hossain stated that initial findings suggest the killing resulted from previous enmity. Police are working to identify those involved in the attack.

A devastating fire in Ramganj municipality’s Ward 7 of Narimpur village in Lakshmipur killed a four-month-old child named Ayat Hossain on Tuesday around 5 p.m. The blaze began in the home of Dulal Mikar, reportedly caused by an electrical short circuit, and quickly spread to nearby houses. Before fire service units could arrive, three residential houses were completely burned down. The deceased child was the son of Dulal Mikar and Poran Begum.

According to local sources, Dulal’s wife had gone outside to collect clothes drying in the sun when the fire broke out. A gas cylinder explosion inside the house intensified the flames, spreading them to the homes of Md. Shahid Ullah, Siraj Mia, and Sabuj, which were all destroyed. Ramganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Farashid Bin Enam visited the site and provided Tk 10,000 in immediate assistance. Officials from the local police and several political parties also inspected the scene.

Fire Station Leader Md. Rezaul Karim stated that the fire likely originated from an electrical short circuit, and the extent of the damage is being assessed.

Reports from India indicate a growing number of attacks on Muslim migrant workers from West Bengal, particularly in BJP-ruled states such as Odisha and Chhattisgarh. On January 4, 2026, a worker from Murshidabad named Ejaz Ali was allegedly assaulted in Sambalpur, Odisha, after being accused of being Bangladeshi. His left arm was broken, and he returned home without receiving medical treatment. Similar incidents have been reported in other regions, forcing many workers to leave their jobs and return to their home state out of fear.

According to the report, these assaults often involve groups identifying Muslim workers by their names on identity cards and labeling them as foreigners. Victims have reported losing their earnings and belongings during the attacks. In Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur, three workers from Murshidabad were also beaten and nearly set on fire by attackers. The victims were unable to file complaints.

The repeated incidents have left many migrant laborers unemployed and fearful, highlighting rising communal tensions and insecurity among Muslim workers in BJP-governed areas.

The Bangladesh Army recovered a pistol, bullets, and homemade explosives from an abandoned toilet in Sadarpur upazila of Faridpur on Tuesday night. The recovery took place around 9 p.m. in the Hospital Mor area, behind an abandoned sub-registrar office. According to army and police sources, the items were found wrapped in cloth and tape inside a bundle, which contained a 7.5 mm pistol, one round of ammunition, and four cocktails inside a black bag. No arrests have been made in connection with the discovery.

An officer from the Faridpur Army Camp stated that the seized weapons were handed over to Sadarpur Police Station. Officer-in-Charge Abdul Al Mamun Shah confirmed that the army recovered the abandoned weapons and later transferred them to police custody. He added that legal procedures regarding the incident are currently underway.

Authorities have not yet identified who may have left the weapons at the site, and the investigation is ongoing.

A hearing on the formation of formal charges against Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her ICT adviser, and former State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak is scheduled to take place today. The charges relate to alleged crimes against humanity committed during the July Revolution. The hearing is set to be held before the three-member International Crimes Tribunal-1, headed by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumdar, with Justices Shafiul Alam Mahmud and Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury as members.

Earlier, on December 4, the tribunal issued arrest warrants for both accused and ordered them to appear before the court by December 10. Joy did not appear, prompting a public notice for his appearance. Palak, who was already under arrest in another case, was produced before the court and shown arrested in this case. After Joy failed to appear following the notice, the court appointed a state defense lawyer for him on December 17 and set today for the charge formation hearing.

The tribunal’s proceedings mark a continuation of legal actions linked to alleged offenses during the July Revolution period.

On January 7, 2026, fifteen years passed since the killing of 14-year-old Felani Khatun, whose body was found hanging on the barbed wire fence along the Bangladesh-India border in Kurigram. Despite the global outrage that followed the 2011 shooting by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) member Amiya Ghosh, her family has yet to see justice. Felani’s father, Nurul Islam, continues to seek accountability through Indian courts, expressing frustration that the case remains unresolved.

The BSF court in Cooch Behar acquitted Amiya Ghosh twice, in 2013 and 2015. Following these verdicts, Nurul Islam and Indian human rights activist Kirity Roy filed a petition with the Indian Supreme Court, but repeated delays have stalled the case. Nurul Islam said the trial has not progressed since a change in government and appealed for his daughter’s killer to be punished.

Felani’s parents, Nurul Islam and Jahanara Begum, continue to struggle financially while raising their remaining five children. They have appealed to the government for educational support and renewed calls for justice, saying that only a fair verdict can prevent future border killings.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch (DB) chief Additional Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam stated that Faisal Karim Masud, accused in the murder of Inquilab Mancha spokesperson Shahid Sharif Osman Hadi, is currently in India. He made the remark on Tuesday during a briefing at the DMP Media Centre regarding the submission of the charge sheet in the Hadi murder case.

Two recently viral videos showed Faisal claiming he was in Dubai and denying involvement in the killing. However, law enforcement earlier reported that Faisal and his associate Alomgir Sheikh fled to India’s Meghalaya through the Haluaghat border after shooting Hadi. Questions arose over the authenticity of Faisal’s videos and his actual location. The DB chief clarified that while the video message was genuine, Faisal’s location was not Dubai but India.

According to the DB, charges have been filed against 17 individuals, with 12 already arrested. The remaining five include Faisal, Alomgir Sheikh, human trafficker Philip Snal, alleged mastermind and former Pallabi ward councillor Taizul Islam Chowdhury Bappi, and Faisal’s sister Jesmin. Investigators said Bappi planned and ordered the killing, and supplementary charges may follow if further involvement is found.