The interim government of Bangladesh has added 135 new medicines to the country's list of essential drugs, bringing the total number to 295. The government has also decided to set fixed prices for the sale of these essential medicines. The decision was made during a meeting of the advisory council held on Thursday.

At a press conference later in the day at the Foreign Service Academy, the chief adviser’s special assistant on health affairs, Md. Sayedur Rahman, announced the decision. He stated that sellers must sell the essential medicines at the government-fixed prices to ensure public access to treatment and medicines. However, he mentioned that sellers would be given some time to comply with the new pricing regulations.

The move aims to make essential medicines more affordable and accessible to the public, aligning with the government’s broader health policy objectives.

The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) reported that Nipah virus infections have been identified in 35 of Bangladesh’s 64 districts. The highest numbers of patients were found in Faridpur, Rajbari, Naogaon, and Lalmonirhat. The information was shared on January 7, 2026, during a meeting at the IEDCR auditorium on the spread and risks of the Nipah virus, chaired by Director Tahmina Shirin. The institute confirmed that five people died from the virus in 2024 and four in 2025.

IEDCR scientific officer Sharmin Sultana noted that Nipah cases usually occur from December to April, but infections were also detected in August 2025, suggesting possible new sources of transmission beyond raw date palm sap. For the first time, a case was recorded in Bhola district last year. She added that no effective treatment or vaccine exists yet, complicating the situation further.

Associate scientist Dr. Syed Moinuddin Sattar said surveillance has been strengthened in high-risk districts, and hospitals have been instructed to remain prepared. Experts advised avoiding raw date palm sap and unwashed or partially eaten fruits to prevent infection.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, aged 100, was hospitalized on Tuesday after falling at his home, according to his aide Sufi Yusof, who confirmed the information to AFP. The incident occurred as Mahathir was moving from his veranda to the living room. He was later taken to the National Heart Institute for observation. He remains conscious, though it is not yet known whether he will be admitted for a longer stay.

Mahathir has been suffering from various health issues and previously underwent bypass surgery for heart disease. Over his long political career, he led Malaysia through a period of rapid modernization and earned widespread respect and popularity both domestically and internationally.

He served as Malaysia’s prime minister from 1981 to 2003 and again from 2018 to 2020. During his second term, at age 94, he became the world’s oldest elected leader.

The government hospital in Harinakundu upazila of Jhenaidah has nearly collapsed due to acute shortages of doctors, medicines, and essential staff. The 250-bed facility, which serves several hundred thousand people from Harinakundu and neighboring Alamdanga, has been without adequate medicine supplies for a long time. Patients, mostly poor and vulnerable, are forced to buy costly medicines from outside pharmacies. Out of 30 sanctioned doctor posts, only eight are currently filled, with one doctor on deputation elsewhere. The shortage has worsened amid a surge in cold-related illnesses such as pneumonia, asthma, and diarrhea, particularly affecting children and the elderly.

The hospital has no specialist doctors, and its operation theater has been shut down due to the absence of an anesthesiologist. As a result, private clinics are reportedly exploiting patients by charging high fees for surgeries. Several key staff positions, including pharmacist and statistician, remain vacant, and only two cleaners are maintaining the facility. Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Alomgir Hossain said the problems have been reported to higher authorities and expressed hope that new doctor appointments might ease the crisis. Local residents have urged the government to take immediate action.

The ongoing crisis has left thousands of impoverished residents without access to essential healthcare, heightening their suffering during the winter season.

Dr. Kamal Hossain, the constitution framer and founder of Gono Forum, has been admitted to Square Hospital in Dhaka due to physical weakness and lung complications. The party confirmed his hospitalization on Friday through a statement issued by its General Secretary, Md. Mizanur Rahman, who also requested prayers from the public for Dr. Kamal’s recovery.

According to the statement, Dr. Kamal fell ill following an incident during the funeral of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Wednesday. His name was not included in the guest list, leading the Special Security Force (SSF) to deny his vehicle access through the VIP route. As a result, he had to travel a long distance in a wheelchair through a large crowd, after which his health deteriorated.

The Gono Forum statement emphasized that Dr. Kamal is currently under medical care for his condition, and the party has sought the nation’s prayers for his swift recovery.

More than fifty female workers of Pran Bangla Millers Company Limited in Ishwardi, Pabna, fell ill after eating food served at the factory canteen late Thursday night. The incident occurred around 3:30 a.m. on Friday at the factory located in Baraichara area of Salimpur Union. The affected workers were admitted to Ishwardi Upazila Health Complex with symptoms including abdominal pain, headache, and diarrhea.

Factory sources said several workers began feeling unwell shortly after eating dinner at 9 p.m. Pran Company’s admin officer Shafiul Islam confirmed that the workers were hospitalized immediately after they fell sick and are currently under treatment. Dr. Umme Kulsum of Ishwardi Upazila Health Complex stated that the illness might have resulted from food poisoning. Sixteen workers remain hospitalized, while others have returned home after receiving primary treatment.

Following the incident, anxiety spread among the workers, though hospital authorities reported that most of the affected individuals are now out of danger.

At least nine people have died and around 200 others have been hospitalized in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, after consuming contaminated water, according to authorities. The incident occurred in the Bhagirathpura area, where residents had reported foul-smelling water for several days. Officials fear the death toll could rise as more people fall ill.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced financial assistance of two lakh rupees for each bereaved family and said that action is being taken against those responsible for negligence. A leak was discovered in a local water pipeline near a toilet construction site, which is suspected to have allowed contaminated water to enter the supply system.

A three-member committee has been formed to investigate the incident and determine accountability. Residents had previously complained to authorities about the water quality but alleged that no action was taken.

The interim government of Bangladesh has approved the establishment of a new public medical college and hospital in Munshiganj district. The decision was announced through a circular signed by Md. Saidur Rahman, Secretary of the Health Education and Family Welfare Division, on Thursday. The circular stated that the project has received policy-level approval, and academic activities will begin once the necessary infrastructural development is completed.

According to the report, this is the latest in a series of approvals by the interim government aimed at expanding medical education and healthcare facilities. Earlier, on November 11 of the previous year, the government had granted permission for academic activities at a private institution, Barrister Rafiqul Haque Medical College, located in Jurain, Dhaka.

The new medical college in Munshiganj is expected to enhance access to medical education and healthcare services in the region once construction and development are finalized.

Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) has launched a vaccination campaign targeting 15,000 stray dogs across the city’s 41 wards to eliminate rabies. The initiative was announced during an advocacy meeting held on Thursday at the CCC office in Tigerpass, chaired by the corporation’s Chief Health Officer Dr. Md. Imam Hossain Rana and attended by Acting Chief Executive Officer and Secretary Md. Ashraful Amin.

Speakers at the meeting emphasized that regular and well-planned vaccination of stray dogs could significantly reduce the risk of rabies in the city. They urged residents to cooperate with the program in the interest of public health.

The campaign is part of CCC’s broader effort to make Chattogram a rabies-free city through sustained and systematic vaccination drives.

A severe cold wave accompanied by dense fog has paralyzed daily life across Lalmonirhat and other northern districts of Bangladesh. The cold intensified over the past week, forcing residents to stay indoors while rural communities light fires to keep warm. Farmers and agricultural workers are struggling to work in the fields where maize, mustard, wheat, potato, and Aman seedbeds remain exposed to the cold. The biting weather has also sharply reduced outdoor activity and income for day laborers and rickshaw pullers.

Health officials report a significant rise in cold-related illnesses. Lalmonirhat’s 250-bed hospital and upazila health complexes are seeing more children and elderly patients suffering from pneumonia, asthma, respiratory problems, and diarrhea. Civil Surgeon Abdul Hakim urged families to take special care of vulnerable groups. The Department of Agricultural Extension is advising farmers to minimize crop damage, while the district administration has distributed blankets among the poor and requested additional supplies from the ministry.

Authorities continue monitoring the situation as cold-related illnesses and disruptions persist across the region.

The President of Bangladesh has issued the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, introducing a maximum fine of Tk 5,000 for selling cigarettes or tobacco products near educational institutions, hospitals, clinics, sports venues, and children's parks. The ordinance was promulgated on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, through the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Ministry of Law.

According to the ordinance, no person may sell or allow the sale of tobacco or tobacco products within 100 meters of the boundaries of these designated areas. The government or local authorities may extend this restricted perimeter through general or special orders as needed. The ordinance amends the original Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act of 2005.

Violators of the new rule will face a fine of up to Tk 5,000, and repeated offenses will result in double penalties. The measure aims to strengthen tobacco control around sensitive public spaces.

The President of Bangladesh has issued the 'Smoking and Tobacco Products Use (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025', expanding the scope of public smoking restrictions and increasing penalties. The ordinance, released Tuesday night by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Law Ministry, raises the maximum fine for public smoking from 300 taka to 2,000 taka. It also broadens the definition of public places to include educational institutions, restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, transport terminals, parks, and fairs.

The amendment eliminates designated smoking zones, meaning no public place may now have a separate area for smoking. Smoking and tobacco use are also banned in building balconies, entrances, and surrounding open spaces. Additionally, the ordinance introduces mandatory standard packaging for tobacco products and increases the size of pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs from 50 percent to 75 percent of the surface area.

According to the government, these stricter measures aim to reduce tobacco use and protect public health nationwide.

President of Bangladesh has issued the 'Smoking and Tobacco Products Use (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025', expanding penalties and restrictions on public smoking. The ordinance, announced by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Ministry of Law on Tuesday night, increases the maximum fine for smoking in public from 300 taka to 2,000 taka.

The amendment revises the 2005 law to strengthen public health protections. It broadens the definition of public places to include educational institutions, restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, transport terminals, parks, and fairs, in addition to government offices and hospitals. Smoking and tobacco use are now fully prohibited in building balconies, entrances, and surrounding open spaces. The ordinance also abolishes designated smoking zones, meaning no public place may now have a separate smoking area.

New packaging rules require standard packaging for all tobacco products and expand pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs from 50 percent to 75 percent of the surface area. The government stated that these measures aim to reduce tobacco use and protect public health.

BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia remains in a highly critical condition while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, according to her personal physician and party standing committee member Dr. A.Z.M. Zahid Hossain. Speaking to reporters outside the hospital early Monday night, he said Khaleda Zia has been admitted since November 23 and continues to face a severe health crisis. He added that only time will tell how much she can recover from this condition.

Dr. Zahid stated that a medical board comprising doctors from home and abroad is monitoring her treatment around the clock. The board met again on Monday morning to review her condition. He requested prayers from the public on behalf of Khaleda Zia’s family. On Monday night, BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman, his wife Dr. Zubaida Rahman, and other family members visited her at the hospital.

Khaleda Zia is suffering from multiple health complications, including diabetes, kidney, heart, and lung problems. Plans to take her abroad for advanced treatment could not proceed as her condition was deemed unfit for air travel, so her treatment continues in Bangladesh.

The interim government of Bangladesh is sending seven fighters injured in the July Uprising 2024 to Thailand for advanced medical treatment. According to an official order signed by Md. Zahirul Islam, Deputy Secretary of the July Uprising Directorate under the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, the group will depart on Monday morning from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. They will travel to Bangkok on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight scheduled to leave at 11:15 a.m.

The seven individuals traveling for treatment are Md. Sujan Mia, Sheikh Mohammad Shanto, Md. Shakil, Md. Liton, Ali Hossain, Md. Mizan Mia, and Md. Hamidul Sarkar. Each of them will be accompanied by one family member to assist during their stay abroad. The decision reflects the government’s ongoing support for those injured during the July 2024 uprising.

The arrangement aims to ensure that the injured fighters receive specialized medical care not available locally, with family members providing personal support throughout their treatment period in Thailand.