Battery-powered rickshaws have become a major source of public concern in Dhaka, operating across main roads, alleys, and flyovers despite a High Court order banning them. Following an appeal, the Appellate Division allowed their temporary operation, leading to increased reckless driving. According to private estimates, about 1.2 million rickshaws operate in the capital, a large portion of them battery-powered and mostly brought from nearby districts. Road Safety Foundation reported 1,856 accidents involving such rickshaws between January and November 2025, causing 1,259 deaths and over 4,000 injuries.

Experts and city officials cited unskilled drivers, including minors and laborers from other professions, as a key cause of frequent accidents. The vehicles are also being used by muggers, prompting police to increase checkpoints. Dhaka Metropolitan Police said 400–450 rickshaws are being impounded daily, with batteries seized and wires cut to enforce road discipline.

Urban planners and city authorities have proposed structural redesigns, driver training, and a registration policy. Both city corporations plan to train 200,000 drivers and introduce color-coded regional permits to bring e-rickshaw operations under legal regulation.

Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has nearly completed its investigation into former Special Branch (SB) chief Monirul Islam, who fled to India after the July 2024 uprising. The probe found evidence that Monirul embezzled about Tk 1,035 crore from two Islamic NGOs—Kuwait Society for Relief (KSR) and Sharjah Charity International—by taking control of them in 2021 under the pretext of investigating terror financing. The ACC said he laundered the funds through accounts held by his wife, former additional secretary Sayla Farzana, his brother-in-law Rezaul Alam Shahin, and his sister-in-law.

According to the ACC, the Middle East–based NGOs had received large foreign donations for Rohingya relief and rehabilitation. Monirul allegedly diverted these funds to accounts linked to his relatives and their firms, including S.S. Enterprise and Tanvir Dairy Farm. Investigators also found 35 apartments registered under his wife and brother-in-law’s names, along with multiple fixed deposits and savings accounts showing irregular transactions.

The ACC has collected relevant bank documents and is preparing to file charges under money laundering and corruption laws. Officials said legal action will follow once the final report is completed.

Tax inspector Ruma Parvin has been compulsorily retired following allegations of forging a government order and submitting a fake passport to travel to Australia. The decision was made under a presidential directive and signed by NBR member (Tax Administration and Human Resource Management) GM Abul Kalam Kaykobad. The order, issued on January 7 and published on the NBR website on Sunday, stated that the misconduct was proven under the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules.

According to the official notice, Parvin forged the signature and reference number of NBR Second Secretary Jasim Uddin to issue a fake government order (GO) and applied for a visa at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi. When the High Commission sought verification on April 18, 2023, the NBR confirmed the document was fake. A departmental case was filed, and after investigation and hearings, the allegations were found to be true.

The report also noted that Parvin falsely claimed her passport was lost, though it was submitted to the Australian High Commission. The Public Service Commission concurred with the decision to retire her compulsorily after her explanations were deemed unsatisfactory.

Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police (DB) announced progress in solving the murder of former Swechchhasebak Dal leader Md. Azizur Rahman Mosabbir, who was shot dead on January 7 in Tejaturi Bazar, Dhaka. Four suspects—Jinnat, Md. Billal Hossain, Abdul Kadir, and Md. Riaz—have been arrested from several districts. DB officials said Jinnat was one of the shooters, Billal coordinated the attack, Kadir helped the accused hide, and Riaz conducted reconnaissance before the incident.

According to DB, Mosabbir and his associate Sufian Bepari Masud were shot near Hotel Super Star, leaving Mosabbir dead and Masud critically injured. The case, filed by Mosabbir’s wife, was transferred to DB for investigation. Police teams used CCTV footage, eyewitness accounts, and technical analysis to identify the suspects. A motorcycle without a number plate and cash were recovered, though the firearm remains missing.

Investigators suspect a business-related dispute behind the killing but are also examining possible political motives and financial links. The DB said efforts continue to arrest a fugitive shooter, recover the weapon, and finalize the charge sheet after evidence analysis.

Senior Assistant Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, Fayez Ahmed, stated that the killing of businessman Moni Chakraborty in Narsingdi was primarily the result of family conflict and business rivalry, not a communal attack as circulated online. He made the remarks during a briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, citing initial assessments by police and the victim’s family that found no communal connection.

Ahmed said false claims had spread on social media portraying the incident as a communal assault because the victim was from the Sanatan religious community. He warned that such misinformation could harm social harmony and create confusion. He noted that similar attempts to disrupt communal unity through fabricated narratives had been observed in recent incidents.

He also mentioned that several prominent citizens had expressed concern over the killing and urged them to verify facts and, if necessary, visit the site before drawing conclusions. Ahmed called on everyone to act responsibly and cautiously to prevent misinformation from damaging communal coexistence.

Police in Ishwardi, Pabna recovered the hanging body of Fasiul Alam Onik, a 22-year-old Chhatra Dal leader, on Sunday evening. The body was found in a rented room at Diyar Sahapur village under Sahapur Union. Onik, son of Mahidul Islam Rana, was a student of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology in Dhaka and served as the ward vice-president of Khilgaon Thana Chhatra Dal.

According to police and local sources, although Onik usually stayed in Dhaka for his studies, he had recently rented a room at the house of Ruhul Driver near his village. When locals noticed no response from his room for a long time, they informed police, who broke open the door and found him hanging from a ceiling fan. Witnesses said one of his feet was on the bed and the other touched the floor, raising questions and mystery in the area.

Ishwardi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Mominuzzaman said the body was sent to Pabna General Hospital morgue for autopsy to determine the cause of death. Legal action will follow after investigation.

A seven-year-old Bangladeshi girl named Afnan was critically injured when a bullet fired from Myanmar struck her home in the Techchibridge area of Hwaikyang Union, Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar. The incident occurred amid intensified fighting between the Arakan Army and a Rohingya armed group in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. Afnan was first treated at the Kutupalong MSF hospital and later transferred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH), where she remains in the intensive care unit. CMCH Director Brigadier General Taslim Uddin said the child was admitted around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday with a gunshot wound to the head and remains in extremely critical condition.

Earlier reports mistakenly claimed the child had died, prompting local protests and road blockades. Police later corrected the information, confirming that Afnan was alive but severely injured. Local authorities and law enforcement intervened to restore calm in the area. The child’s condition remains life-threatening, and doctors are monitoring her closely.

The cross-border incident has heightened tension in the border region, where stray gunfire from Myanmar’s internal conflict continues to pose risks to Bangladeshi civilians.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed seven separate cases accusing 93 individuals of embezzling at least Tk 47 crore from various branches of United Commercial Bank (UCB) PLC. The cases were lodged on Sunday at the ACC’s Chattogram-1 integrated district office. According to the case reports, fake identities of rural farmers, day laborers, and tailors were used to open current accounts and secure loans under the names of non-existent companies such as Hossain Trading, Karnaphuli Emporium, Zahid International, Cat’s Eye Corporation, Shah Trading, Harun & Sons, and Mallik & Brothers.

Investigations revealed that former top UCB officials, branch managers, and credit operations staff were directly involved in the scheme. The fraudulent loans were approved using forged trade licenses, fake documents, and fabricated verification reports prepared by an organized group. The funds were later transferred across accounts and withdrawn in cash. The ACC report also named former UCB director and executive committee chairman Anisuzzaman Chowdhury Rony and former director Bashir Ahmed as directly linked to the scam.

The ACC stated that similar embezzlement cases had been filed earlier and several related investigations remain ongoing.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 in Bangladesh has, for the first time, granted bail to an accused in the July Revolution murder case. The accused, Humayun Kabir Patowary, a local-level Awami League leader from Lakshmipur, received the order on Sunday. The three-member tribunal, chaired by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury and including retired judges Manjurul Basit and Nur Mohammad Shahriar Kabir, issued the decision.

The tribunal granted bail on health grounds, as Patowary suffers from liver cirrhosis, a disease that had previously claimed the lives of his two brothers. The court imposed four conditions: he must inform investigators of his residence, refrain from media or social media engagement, notify authorities of any address change, and avoid contact or intimidation of witnesses. Violation of any condition will lead to immediate arrest and permanent denial of bail.

This marks the first instance of bail being granted in connection with the July Revolution murder case, signaling a rare judicial decision within the tribunal’s proceedings.

Police in Kishoreganj upazila of Nilphamari arrested six individuals on Saturday night for alleged involvement in visa fraud and online gambling. The arrests were made during separate raids in different areas, and the detainees were sent to the district jail on Sunday under the Cyber Security Act. The arrested persons include residents of Nitai Union and Kishoreganj Sadar Union, identified by police as Abu Alam, Lal Mia, Bulbul Mia, Goffar Mia, Manjurul, and Selim.

According to Sub-Inspector Kazi Ripon, four suspects were detained from Bajedumuria Dakupura village based on secret information, and evidence of online casino activity was found on their mobile phones. In a separate operation the same night, two others were arrested from Kacharipara village, where one was found with evidence of visa fraud and another with online gambling traces. Officer-in-Charge (Investigation) Abdul Kuddus confirmed the arrests and legal action.

The suspects were placed in district jail on Sunday following the filing of cases under the Cyber Security Act, as confirmed by Kishoreganj police officials.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized a large consignment of illegal Indian cigarettes from the border area of Kulaura upazila in Moulvibazar on Saturday night. The operation took place near the Alinagar border outpost, where 2,550 packets of Indian cigarettes were recovered without an identified owner. The seized goods have an estimated market value of Tk 510,000.

According to the BGB’s Srimangal Battalion (46 BGB), its border outposts in Kulaura, Kamalganj, and Srimangal upazilas conduct round-the-clock patrols and regular anti-smuggling drives along the district’s border areas. The battalion oversees about 115 kilometers of border, focusing on preventing illegal drugs and other contraband from entering the country.

BGB officials stated that such operations will continue to ensure border security and curb smuggling activities. The seized cigarettes are being prepared for handover to the relevant authorities following legal procedures.

Members of the Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) from Dhaka successfully defused a powerful bomb recovered in Faridpur on Sunday morning. The operation took place around 10 a.m. at the bank of the Kumar River in the Goalachamot area, where the device was detonated in a controlled explosion after being surrounded with sandbags. ATU Inspector Shankar Kumar Ghosh confirmed that the bomb was a remote-controlled improvised explosive device (IED).

The explosive had been discovered the previous morning, Saturday at around 10 a.m., inside a school bag near the southern side of Alipur Bridge in a slum area of the city. Following the recovery, local police increased surveillance across Faridpur to ensure public safety. Officer-in-Charge of Faridpur Kotwali Police Station, Shahidul Islam, stated that investigations are underway to identify those involved in the incident.

Authorities have not yet disclosed any suspects or motives behind the placement of the device, and the investigation remains ongoing.

A pedestrian named Kabir Ali, aged 57, was killed after being struck by an Indian truck at the Sonamasjid land port area in Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj on Sunday morning. The accident occurred in the Madhyabazar area of the port while Kabir Ali, a resident of Baliadighi village, was crossing the road. He was severely injured and died on the way to Shibganj Upazila Health Complex.

According to Shibganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Humayun Kabir, the Indian truck hit Kabir Ali from behind as he was crossing the road. Local residents rescued the injured man and took him for treatment, but he succumbed to his injuries en route. Police later recovered the body and confirmed that locals had detained the truck involved in the incident.

Law enforcement authorities stated that legal action has been initiated regarding the accident.

A severe communal clash erupted in Unakoti district of India’s northeastern state of Tripura, reportedly triggered by a dispute over a donation demand for a local festival. The incident occurred in Kumarghat area under Fatikroy police station, where refusal to pay the donation allegedly led one community to set fire to several establishments, including a timber shop, and vandalize a place of worship. At least five to six people were injured, and several houses and shops were burned. Authorities imposed an internet shutdown and took strict measures to restore order.

Security forces, including the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Tripura State Rifles (TSR), were deployed across Kumarghat subdivision and nearby areas. Mobile internet services were suspended for 48 hours, and police used mild baton charges and drone surveillance to maintain control. Eight people were detained in connection with the violence, and special monitoring continues under Section 163 to prevent further unrest.

Officials said the situation is now calm and fully under control. The administration remains vigilant ahead of the upcoming Bhairab Mela to ensure communal peace and prevent renewed tensions.

A joint force operation in Munshiganj’s Tongibari upazila on the evening of January 10, 2026, led to the arrest of ten individuals with local weapons, drugs, and cash. The raid took place near Baligaon Bridge under Tongibari Police Station, conducted by a team from the Munshiganj Sadar Army Camp under the 99 Composite Brigade, based on intelligence information and with police cooperation. Authorities seized approximately 250 grams of cannabis, two yaba tablets, over 200 unidentified drugs, and Tk 494,505 in cash from the scene.

The detainees were identified as residents of Tongibari and nearby areas and described by law enforcement as known drug dealers. Following the operation, the arrested individuals and the recovered items were handed over to Tongibari Police Station for legal proceedings.

The army stated that it remains firm in maintaining law and order in Munshiganj and will continue anti-drug and anti-crime drives regularly to prevent violence and sabotage ahead of the upcoming national election.