A Tangail court has sentenced Rezaur Rahman Dulu to life imprisonment and fined him 10,000 taka for murdering his mother-in-law in Madhupur nearly 20 years ago. The verdict was delivered on Sunday, January 18, 2026, by Judge Dilara Alo Chandana of the Tangail Special Judge (District and Sessions Judge) Court.

According to the prosecution, on September 27, 2006, Dulu went to his wife Nurunnahar’s home intending to kill her following a family dispute. When his mother-in-law tried to intervene, he attacked her with a local weapon, killing her on the spot. Nurunnahar was injured and later admitted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, while her mother was declared dead at Kaliyakur Hospital in Madhupur.

After nearly two decades of judicial proceedings, the court’s verdict brought satisfaction to the plaintiff’s side, marking the conclusion of a long-running murder case in Tangail.

A woman named Rehena Akter, mother of July fighter and Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader Yasin Arfat Choton, was killed in an attack allegedly led by a local Sramik League leader in Ramu, Cox’s Bazar. The incident occurred around 10 a.m. on Sunday, January 18, 2026, in Khedarghona area of Khuniapalong Union’s Ward No. 1. According to local sources, the attack stemmed from a land dispute. The assailants, led by Zaher Alam Kalu, son of Faridul Alam and president of the Sramik League’s Ward No. 1 unit, reportedly attacked Choton’s home with sharp weapons. Rehena Akter was injured and died on the way to the hospital.

Ramu Police Station Officer-in-Charge Monirul Islam Bhuiyan stated that a long-standing land conflict existed between the two parties. On the morning of the incident, Kalu went to the disputed land, leading to an argument. During the altercation, Kalu allegedly struck Rehena Begum on the head with a spade. Police confirmed that legal proceedings are underway regarding the case.

The report identifies Zaher Alam Kalu as the president of the Sramik League’s Khuniapalong Union Ward No. 1 unit.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 has scheduled January 22 for delivering an order on charge framing against seven accused, including two top leaders of the banned organization Chhatra League, in a case over killings during the July Revolution. The accused include Chhatra League president Saddam Hossain and general secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan. The three-member panel, led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, fixed the date after hearing both prosecution and defense arguments.

According to the source, the prosecution, represented by Mizanul Islam and Gazi M.H. Tamim, argued for formal charges and trial initiation, citing individual responsibility of the accused. Defense lawyers Lokman Hawlader and Ishrat Jahan claimed their clients were not involved and sought discharge due to lack of evidence. The tribunal had earlier issued arrest warrants after the accused failed to appear on January 8 and were later deemed absconding.

The prosecution had submitted formal charges on December 18, leading the tribunal to accept the allegations and issue warrants. Law enforcement agencies reported being unable to locate the accused at their listed addresses, prompting a public notice on December 30.

In Jessore’s Sharsha upazila, road construction work in Jirengacha village was allegedly halted and bricks removed after a contractor refused to pay extortion money. The incident occurred on Friday night in Ulashi Union. Contractor Nasir Uddin of Sarun & Safa Traders said work on a 73-meter road, costing about 350,000 taka, began on January 15. Local resident Arman Hossain, known as Dablue, allegedly demanded money and stopped the work when refused. The contractor reported that workers were forced to leave, and the next morning he found part of the road’s bricks removed. He is preparing a written complaint to the upazila administration.

Local residents claimed a group led by Dablue has long intimidated villagers in Jirengacha, Kashiadanga, and Matipukuria, controlling local activities through threats and extortion. Residents also alleged that the group interferes in social and religious events. Dablue denied all allegations, saying he was being targeted over a local dispute. Police confirmed multiple cases against him under various laws but said no written complaint had yet been filed regarding this incident.

Authorities stated that an investigation and legal action will follow once a formal complaint is received.

A day laborer named Rezaul Karim, 38, died from electrocution on Sunday morning while assisting in the reinstallation of an electricity transformer in Chaubila village under Salonga Union of Raiganj upazila, Sirajganj. He was working with a lineman named Atik when the accident occurred around 11 a.m. Karim, son of the late Omar Ali Sheikh of Charia Ujir Shaopara village, had long been employed as a tree-cutting worker for the local Palli Bidyut office.

According to police and local sources, the team assumed the power line was disconnected before starting work. However, an adjacent line remained live, and Karim was fatally electrocuted upon contact. His coworkers later disconnected the power and, with local help, brought down his body. Police visited the scene, granted permission for burial, and recorded an unnatural death (UD) case at Salonga Police Station.

Local residents have raised questions about how a tree-cutting laborer was assigned to transformer installation work, as attempts to contact the Salonga Palli Bidyut zonal office and its acting AGM went unanswered.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) recovered two USA-made pistols, four magazines, and eight rounds of ammunition during a special operation in Rajshahi’s border area. The operation took place on the night of January 17, 2026, at Katakhali border, based on secret intelligence. The recovery was announced at a press briefing held at the BGB Rajshahi headquarters on January 18 by Lieutenant Colonel Riaz Shahriar, director of Rajshahi BGB. The seized weapons were found buried in the ground at Padma Char area and will be handed over to Katakhali Police Station. No arrests were made in connection with the incident.

Lieutenant Colonel Shahriar stated that the operation was part of intensified surveillance and patrol measures to prevent illegal arms, ammunition, and explosives from entering the country ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. He also detailed a comprehensive security plan for Rajshahi, including deployment of mobile and striking forces, K-9 units, and river patrol crafts.

BGB plans to complete deployment across all electoral areas between January 29 and February 1, establishing temporary base camps to ensure smooth election-time security operations.

Five people were killed and several others injured when a passenger bus hit an easybike on the Dhaka-Barishal highway in Madaripur’s Ghatokchar area on Sunday, January 18, 2026, around 5:30 p.m. The accident occurred near the Mill Gate area when a Sarbik Paribahan bus traveling from Madaripur to Dhaka collided with the easybike, causing the vehicle to crumple and the bus to fall into a roadside ditch. Fire service personnel, highway police, and local residents are conducting rescue operations at the scene.

Among the deceased were Pannu Munshi, a helper of Sarbik Paribahan, and Ruman, son of Shah Alam from Ghatokchar village in Kendua Union of Madaripur Sadar. Three people died on the spot, and another succumbed to injuries at the hospital. The injured were taken to Madaripur 250-bed District Hospital for treatment. Police and fire service teams continue their operations to recover victims and clear the site.

Mastafapur Highway Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mamun Al Rashid said he was heading to the scene and would provide further details later.

A written complaint has been filed in Madan upazila of Netrakona alleging that students of Maghan High School were charged excessive fees during the 2026 SSC examination form fill-up. Guardian Jhuman Mia submitted the complaint to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer on Sunday, claiming he was verbally abused and forced out of the school premises after protesting the demand for Tk 9,000, far above the government-fixed fee of Tk 2,315.

According to the complaint and statements from guardians, the school allegedly compelled students to pay additional coaching fees along with the form fill-up charges, warning that those unable to pay would be barred from completing the process or sitting for the exam. Teacher Abdul Gani denied the allegations, saying no extra money was taken, while Head Teacher Shahidul Islam Khokon stated that Tk 2,500 was collected per student and referred further questions to Gani.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Bedbati Mistri said she was currently in the district and would take action after reviewing the matter.

The Cumilla Battalion-10 of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized illegal Indian sarees, three-pieces, and fireworks worth Tk 13.48 million during two separate operations in Cumilla Sadar upazila on Sunday morning. The seizures were made from Murapara and Paharpur areas, located 250 and 100 yards inside Bangladesh’s border respectively. The items were found abandoned along with a mini pickup truck. Battalion Commander Colonel Mir Ali Ejaz confirmed the recovery of the smuggled goods.

According to BGB sources, the Cumilla Battalion regularly conducts anti-smuggling and anti-narcotics operations across its assigned border areas to curb cross-border crimes. The January 18 operations were part of these ongoing efforts under the jurisdiction of the Jashpur Border Outpost (BOP) patrol team.

Colonel Mir Ali Ejaz stated that necessary legal measures would be taken regarding the seized contraband and that such operations would continue to prevent smuggling along the border.

A Kuki woman who survived a gang rape during the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur, India, has died on January 10, 2026. The assault occurred in May 2023, shortly after clashes erupted between the Meitei and Kuki communities. According to her family, she never recovered from the physical and psychological trauma of the attack. The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) announced a candlelight vigil in her memory, stating that she had been abducted from Imphal, raped in Langol, and left in Bishnupur to die.

The woman, then 20, had filed a police complaint on July 21, 2023, describing how four armed men in black shirts abducted her and three of them raped her. Kuki groups alleged that some members of Meira Paibi handed her over to Meitei men. Her mother told NewsLaundry that the injuries caused severe breathing problems and that her daughter had lost her cheerful nature after the incident. She had been receiving treatment in Guwahati before her death.

The 2023 ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities over land rights and political representation left more than 260 people dead and displaced about 50,000 others.

Police recovered two burnt bodies from an abandoned community center in Savar on Sunday afternoon. The discovery was made after local youths and a college student noticed the bodies inside the deserted Savar municipal community center, located about 500 yards from the local police compound. Officers suspect the remains may belong to a woman and a young boy, but their identities have not yet been confirmed.

According to police, the bodies were severely burnt, making identification difficult. The Savar Model Police Station’s officer-in-charge, Arman Ali, said the incident is under investigation. This marks the fifth body recovered from the same abandoned building in the past two months. Earlier, unidentified male and female bodies were found there on several occasions, but none have been identified so far.

Local residents expressed concern that various criminal activities continue inside the abandoned center, located near the police station, and alleged that authorities have failed to take effective action.

A large student gathering titled 'Stand for Hadi' was held at Tamirul Millat Kamil Madrasa in Tongi, Gazipur, demanding justice for the killing of Inqilab Moncho spokesperson Shaheed Osman Hadi. The event, organized by the Tamirul Millat Central Students’ Union (TAKSU), took place on Sunday afternoon in the madrasa’s academic courtyard, drawing participation from around 14,000 students. The campus echoed with chants calling for justice and accountability for Hadi’s death.

Principal Dr. Hefzur Rahman attended as the chief guest, emphasizing that ensuring justice is a fundamental duty of a civilized state. He urged authorities to identify the perpetrators swiftly and bring them under the law through a fair and impartial investigation, warning that delayed justice undermines fairness. TAKSU leaders including Vice President Iqbal Kabir, General Secretary Saeedul Islam, and Assistant General Secretary Moinul Islam also addressed the event.

Speakers stated that students would continue their united movement until justice is achieved and called for effective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. They described the peaceful protest as a strong stance in favor of justice.

A man named Mizanur Rahman, also known as Roni, who was accused in six criminal cases, was beaten to death in public at Kabirhat upazila of Noakhali on Saturday night. The attack occurred around 10:30 p.m. near Kazi Bari in Kalirhat market area under Narottampur Union. After the killing, a group of youths reportedly distributed sweets in the market, calling the deceased a robber, which sparked widespread discussion in the area.

According to police and local sources, Mizan had earlier attended a BNP ward-level election meeting at Kalirhat market, where he claimed to be a dedicated party worker and got into an argument with others. After leaving the meeting, several individuals caught him near Kazi Bari and beat him with sticks and iron pipes, causing his death on the spot. Police later recovered his body, a blood-stained stick, an iron pipe, and a toy pistol from the scene.

Kabirhat police said Mizan had been involved in various criminal activities in recent months. His body was sent to Noakhali General Hospital morgue for autopsy, and legal action will follow upon filing of a case by his family.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Sunday issued arrest warrants against former Dhaka South City mayor Fazle Noor Taposh, former textiles and jute minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, and 22 others in connection with the killing of nine people, including Farhan Faiyaz and Mahmudul Hasan Soikat, during the July uprising in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area. The three-member judicial panel, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder, passed the order after taking formal charges into cognizance.

According to the prosecution, the accused include former senior police officials and leaders of the now-banned local units of Awami League, Jubo League, and Chhatra League. Four accused are already in custody, identified as local Chhatra League leaders. The chief prosecutor, Tazul Islam, presented three charges alleging that Awami League, Chhatra League, and law enforcement personnel carried out brutal attacks on student protesters on July 18–19, 2024, resulting in nine deaths and numerous injuries.

The tribunal accepted the charges and ordered the fugitives to appear before it on January 29. The prosecution stated that 50 witnesses are expected to testify against the accused.

Formal charges have been filed against former Dhaka South City mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, former minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, and 26 others in connection with the Mohammadpur massacre case linked to the July uprising. The charges were officially submitted on Sunday morning. Separately, the International Crimes Tribunal-2 has scheduled a hearing today to form charges against seven accused, including suspended Awami League general secretary and former minister Obaidul Quader, in a crimes against humanity case related to killings during the July revolution.

The tribunal’s three-member panel, chaired by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, will conduct the hearing, with judges Md Manjurul Bashid and Nur Mohammad Shahriar Kabir as members. Earlier, on December 30, the court ordered public notices for the accused to appear, and after their absence on January 8, appointed state defense lawyers to represent them. The same order set today’s date for the formal charge hearing.

Other accused include Awami League joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, former state minister for information Mohammad Ali Arafat, Jubo League president Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, general secretary Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil, and Chhatra League leaders Saddam Hossain and Wali Asif Inan.