A Japanese court has sentenced Tetsuya Yamagami to life imprisonment for the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Judge Shinichi Tanaka delivered the verdict on Wednesday, concluding a case that shocked Japan and the world. Yamagami admitted to shooting Abe in broad daylight during a campaign event in the southern city of Nara. Prosecutors had sought a life sentence, calling the killing an unprecedented event in Japan’s postwar history that had a negative impact on society, while the defense requested a maximum of 20 years.

According to the case details, Yamagami’s mother was a follower of the Unification Church and had donated nearly all her assets, leaving the family in financial distress. Yamagami reportedly became angry after learning of Abe’s alleged ties to the controversial church. On July 8, 2022, he used a homemade gun made from pipes and duct tape to shoot Abe twice while the former leader was giving a speech. Abe was taken to a hospital but died shortly afterward.

The court’s ruling brings closure to one of Japan’s most shocking acts of violence in recent decades.

A bus conductor named Md. Ilias Hossain, aged 25, was killed after being crushed between two buses in Dhaka’s Gulistan area on Tuesday night. The incident occurred around 7 p.m. near Khaddar Market traffic signal when Ilias, who worked for Victoria Paribahan, stepped off his bus while it was stopped. As the signal turned green, an Azmiri Paribahan bus moved forward alongside, trapping him between the two vehicles and causing severe injuries.

He was rescued and taken to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he died at 12:20 a.m. while undergoing treatment. Inspector Md. Faruk of the hospital police outpost confirmed the incident, stating that the body was kept at the hospital morgue for autopsy and the concerned police station had been informed.

Ilias Hossain was from Charbishwas village in Galachipa upazila of Patuakhali district and lived in the Gazipura area. He is survived by his wife Hafiza Khatun and a daughter.

Police recovered the decomposed body of BNP activist Golakajul, also known as Kajol, from the Padma River in Alatuli Union of Chapainawabganj district on Tuesday, 19 days after he went missing. The body was found opposite Godagari police station in Rajshahi. Kajol, aged 36, was a resident of Bagdanga Chakpara village in Charbagdanga Union. His family alleged that on January 2, an Awami League activist named Hasem took him from his home, after which he never returned.

Kajol’s wife, Lima Begum, filed an abduction case on January 8 against eight people, including Omar Ali, president of the local Awami League unit, and Nurul Islam, president of the district Weavers League. Police said the body was sent for autopsy to the modern district hospital morgue. Kajol’s brother, Shawkat Ali, identified the body and claimed that Kajol had earlier argued with local traders over business matters.

Investigators said the cause of death would be determined after receiving the post-mortem report, while the abduction case remains under investigation.

A Dhaka court has ordered the appointment of a receiver to oversee and protect immovable properties seized in a corruption case against former Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Sheikh Abdul Hannan and his wife Tahmida Begum. The directive came from the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge and Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court after hearing an application from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The ACC disclosed the court’s decision in a press release issued on Tuesday.

According to court sources, the ACC filed the application due to the absence of a caretaker, which posed a risk of the properties being misappropriated. The ACC investigation alleges that Sheikh Abdul Hannan and his wife abused power, accepted bribes, and acquired wealth beyond known income sources. The inquiry and investigation into these allegations are still ongoing.

Under the court order, two flats in Nikunja-2, a large apartment in Mirpur DOHS, a 320-square-yard plot in the Mirpur Military Officers’ Housing Project, and two plots in Rupganj, Narayanganj, will now be under the receiver’s control to ensure proper management and protection of state interests.

A man named Shamim Osman has been arrested for allegedly impersonating the Home Affairs adviser and sending misleading instructions to the Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner (DC) through WhatsApp. The Cyber Police Center of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) conducted the operation on Monday in Savar, Dhaka. According to a CID press release, the suspect posed as retired Lieutenant General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, the Home Affairs adviser, and demanded one lakh taka through mobile banking after instructing that no Awami League activists be arrested in Rajshahi.

Authorities became suspicious and immediately informed the CID, which used technology to identify and apprehend the suspect. CID stated that Shamim Osman had previously committed similar frauds by impersonating senior government officials. He was also wanted under an arrest warrant issued by Bagha Police Station in Rajshahi and has been handed over to that station.

Investigators are now examining whether others were involved and if the arrested man used other officials’ identities for similar fraudulent activities.

A Dhaka court has ordered the appointment of a caretaker to manage and supervise the seized immovable properties of Mohammad Saiful Alam, chairman of S Alam Group. The order was issued on Monday by the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge and Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court following a petition from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The ACC confirmed the directive in a statement released on Tuesday.

According to the ACC, the properties under supervision include land and buildings in Chattogram’s Rahmatganj, Asadganj, Nasirabad, and Khulshi areas, as well as commercial and residential assets such as the S Alam House, S Alam Center, S Alam Playground, and several luxury apartments and parking spaces. The ACC’s Deputy Director and joint investigation team leader, Tahasin Munabil Haque, submitted the petition, citing concerns that the accused were attempting to transfer or misuse the seized assets despite existing court orders.

The ACC stated that investigations are ongoing against Saiful Alam and his family for allegedly embezzling large sums of money through loans taken under various names and transferring the funds abroad. Earlier, a total of 463.87 decimals of land and multi-storey buildings in key areas of Chattogram had been ordered seized in connection with the case.

A Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officer was beaten to death and three others were seriously injured during an operation in the remote jungle area of Chhalimpur in Sitakunda, Chattogram. The incident occurred when RAB members raided the area based on intelligence that a top local criminal, Yasin, and his associates were present near a BNP office. The attackers captured four RAB members, assaulted them, and transported them to Alinagar, where they were beaten repeatedly. One officer, Abdul Motaleb, later died in hospital, while three others remain injured.

BNP leaders denied having any office or activities in Chhalimpur and rejected any involvement in the killing. Local residents said the building previously served as an Awami League office before being taken over by expelled BNP youth leader Rokon Uddin, and later by Yasin’s group. The area has long been a haven for armed groups, with multiple deadly clashes over territorial control.

Authorities announced plans for a large-scale joint operation involving RAB, police, army, and other agencies to dismantle criminal strongholds, recover government land, and bring those responsible for the officer’s killing to justice.

A dramatic escape by murder suspect Nahid Hasan Liton from Pirgacha police custody in Rangpur has caused widespread commotion across the upazila. Liton, the organizational secretary of Rangpur District Jubo League and son of Pirgacha Upazila Awami League vice-president Abdul Hannan, was arrested Tuesday evening during a special police operation at his home in connection with the Shahid Abu Sayed murder case. Witnesses claimed he was handcuffed after arrest, but fled during a scuffle between police and several women, allegedly leaving the scene unclothed and still wearing handcuffs.

Local sources said a youth leader assured police of recovering the handcuffs. A couple who witnessed the incident reported that one woman bit a police officer’s hand, allowing Liton to escape. Pirgacha Police Officer-in-Charge AKM Khandaker Mohibbul Islam confirmed the escape but denied that Liton was handcuffed at the time, calling such claims baseless.

The incident has raised local concerns about possible police negligence and the broader implications for law and order in the area.

In Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar, allegations have surfaced that a group is continuing the construction of a multi-storey building despite a court injunction. The dispute centers on land in East Taipalong under Rajapalong Union, where Shahina Akter, wife of expatriate Mohammad Sharif, claims her purchased property has been forcibly occupied by several influential locals. Residents fear that the escalating tension could lead to violent clashes if authorities fail to act promptly.

According to the report, Shahina Akter filed a case on December 20, after which the Cox’s Bazar District Court imposed Section 144 on December 24, prohibiting all construction on the disputed land. Police sub-inspector Suman Dey visited the site and instructed both parties to comply with the order, but construction allegedly continued. Shahina Akter accused the police of bias and expressed concern for her family’s safety.

The accused, Shah Newaz Begum alias Paki, claimed the land is ancestral property and that they continued work based on advice from police and lawyers. The investigating officer confirmed that a report has been submitted to the court, with a hearing scheduled for January 21. Locals have urged immediate enforcement of the court order to prevent potential violence.

An investigation has uncovered a long-running question leak operation involving the political science department’s final exams at the seven government colleges affiliated with Dhaka University. According to the report, a group led by Dhaka College office assistant and former student Ilias Hossain allegedly sold exam questions from honors to master’s level three to four days before exams in exchange for money. Sources claim most students were involved, paying between 1,500 and 2,500 taka per set, while each college session contributed around 150,000 taka. Evidence reportedly includes matching leaked and official exam papers.

Unnamed students said they were sworn to secrecy before receiving the questions and that leaked questions consistently appeared in exams. They expressed frustration that the leaks undermined merit and fairness. Ilias Hossain denied all allegations, calling them false and claiming question similarities resulted from recurring syllabus patterns.

Dhaka College’s political science department head said he was unaware of the issue but promised dismissal if proven true. Dhaka University’s exam controller stated no official complaint had reached him but assured that any verified report would lead to an investigation and disciplinary action.

Two men were killed in a violent clash stemming from a land dispute in Jashore on Tuesday afternoon. The incident occurred in front of Salua College in Chowgacha upazila. Police confirmed the deaths, identifying the victims as Rafiqul Islam, 45, and Abdul Alim Palash, 35, both residents of Jagahati village under Churamankati union in Jashore Sadar. According to police, Rafiqul was attacked with a sharp weapon by Palash, leaving him critically injured.

Local sources said the two men had been in conflict over land ownership for the past two years. Following the attack, an enraged crowd surrounded Palash and beat him severely. Police from Kotwali station arrived at the scene and took both injured men to Jashore General Hospital, where doctors declared Palash dead upon arrival.

Police later reported that Rafiqul died on the way to Dhaka while being transferred for advanced treatment. Authorities confirmed that both deaths were linked to the same land dispute incident.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2, led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, has concluded final arguments in the case concerning the burning of six bodies in Ashulia during the July uprising. The tribunal has now kept the verdict pending. Defense arguments were presented over the past two days, following prosecution arguments on January 14 and 15. A total of 24 witnesses testified in the case.

Sixteen individuals were charged, including eight currently in custody such as former Dhaka Additional Superintendent of Police Abdullahil Kafi and several former police officers from Savar and Ashulia. The remaining eight, including former Member of Parliament Muhammad Saiful Islam, remain absconding. According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on August 5, 2024, when five people were shot dead and one critically injured in front of Ashulia Police Station. The injured man and the bodies were later placed in a police vehicle that was set on fire, killing all six.

The tribunal had earlier framed charges on August 21, 2025, and began witness hearings after the prosecution’s opening statement on September 14, 2025. The verdict will be delivered after judicial deliberation.

The Director General of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), AKM Shahidur Rahman, announced that a large-scale joint forces operation will soon be launched to destroy the militant hideout in Jungle Salimpur, Sitakunda, Chattogram. He said preparations are underway to involve the army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Armed Police Battalion (APBn), police, and the district administration. The operation aims to arrest armed militants, recover government land, and ensure justice for slain RAB member Abdul Motaleb.

Rahman made the announcement on Tuesday during a media briefing at the RAB office in Patenga after Motaleb’s funeral. The RAB chief said Motaleb was killed in a sudden attack by militants on Monday afternoon. He pledged to continue surveillance in Jungle Salimpur until justice is served and to correct any operational mistakes. A RAB investigation committee has been formed, and the armed suspects have been identified.

Police officials said a case is being processed, but no arrests have been made yet. The area remains under the control of a top local criminal, according to police sources.

Three bodies of fishermen who went missing ten days ago after a motorized boat sank in the Meghna River have been recovered in Barishal. According to river police, the bodies were found on Tuesday morning and afternoon in the Hizla and Mehendiganj areas. The deceased were identified as Shahin Mir, 20, Nayon Bepari, 19, and Arif Sikder, 19. Their bodies were handed over to their families without autopsy as no complaints were filed.

Police said the incident occurred on January 10 when five young fishermen from Hizla went fishing near the Lal Buoy area of the Meghna River. After casting their nets, they fell asleep in the boat, which later sank as water entered through the engine propeller. Two of them managed to swim ashore and were rescued, but the others went missing in dense fog. One fisherman, Shahin Sikder, 18, remains missing, and his relatives continue to search the river.

Authorities have not reported any further developments regarding the missing fisherman’s search.

Police in Natore’s Naldanga upazila arrested a Youth Dal activist on Monday for allegedly stealing cash during a Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) goods distribution at Madhnagar Union Parishad. The suspect, identified as Rumman Sardar, 35, was detained from Purba Madhnagar village with 181,050 taka in cash, which police said was part of the stolen amount of nearly 200,000 taka. The theft occurred when dealer Mizanur Rahman left the distribution site briefly for prayers.

According to police, Rumman Sardar is a resident of Purba Madhnagar and known locally as a Youth Dal activist. He is the son of Md. Lokman Hossain Bhulu, president of the BNP’s Ward No. 5 unit in Madhnagar Union. Bhulu told reporters that his son was addicted to drugs and expressed shock over the incident, adding that anyone committing a crime must face legal consequences.

Naldanga Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Nure Alam said the suspect is in custody and legal proceedings are underway. Authorities added that further action will be taken if others are found involved after investigation.