Nine-year-old Huzayfa Afnan, injured by gunfire from across the Myanmar border, has been admitted to the National Institute of Neurosciences (NINS) in Dhaka. She was admitted to a reserved post-operative room at 10:45 p.m. on Tuesday, confirmed by Dr. Humayun Kabir Himu, Associate Professor of Interventional Neurology at the hospital.

Earlier, she had undergone emergency surgery at Chittagong Medical College Hospital after being shot on January 11 in the Hwaikyang Techchabridge area of Teknaf. The bullet caused severe pressure on one side of her brain, leading doctors to remove part of her skull to relieve it. A medical board of specialists in neurosurgery, neurology, pediatrics, vascular surgery, ICU, and anesthesiology decided to transfer her to Dhaka for advanced care.

Doctors at NINS reported that her consciousness level is 7 out of 15, indicating a critical condition. She is on mechanical ventilation, and the medical team has stated they are prepared to take all necessary measures for her treatment.

A nine-year-old child named Huzayfa Afnan, who was seriously injured by gunfire coming from the Myanmar side in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, is being transferred to Dhaka for advanced treatment after his condition deteriorated. Brigadier General Mohammad Taslim Uddin, director of Chittagong Medical College Hospital, said preparations were underway to send the child to Dhaka by 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

Doctors reported that although surgery was performed on the child’s head, the bullet could not be removed as it was lodged deep in a highly risky area. Professor Dr. Harunur Rashid, head of the ICU department, stated that a neurosurgery team conducted the operation and cleaned the wound. The child was initially admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital after being shot near the Techa Bridge area of Hwaikyang in Teknaf last Sunday morning.

Huzayfa is the eldest of three siblings and the son of local fish trader Jasim Uddin. He is a third-grade student at Haji Mohammad Hossain Government Primary School.

More than fifty workers at a garment factory in Tongi, Gazipur, fell ill on Monday afternoon following what doctors described as a mass panic attack. The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. at the Garments Export Village, a unit of the Mtranet Group on Meghna Road. The affected workers were taken to Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital and nearby facilities for treatment, with seventeen later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital. The factory declared a one-day closure following the incident.

According to hospital emergency physician Dr. Nafiza Sharmin, most of the workers were suffering from panic attack-related symptoms, including breathing difficulties and physical weakness. Industrial Police Inspector Azad Rahman said police were dispatched to the site and were in contact with factory authorities to gather more details. Workers reported that the illness began on the fifth floor and spread quickly as panic set in among other floors.

Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation while treatment for the affected workers is ongoing.

Two senior staff nurses at Feni General Hospital have been temporarily suspended after a video surfaced showing cooking on a gas stove inside the labor ward’s operation theater. The suspension order, signed on Sunday evening by Md. Anwar Hossain Akand, Acting Director General of the Directorate of Nursing and Midwifery and Joint Secretary of the Health Services Division, named Nursing Supervisor Kalpana Rani Mondal and Senior Staff Nurse Rani Bala Halder.

The order stated that the incident, which occurred at the 250-bed district hospital, was a serious breach of discipline and professional conduct. The video’s circulation on social media and subsequent news coverage reportedly damaged public health confidence, patient safety, and the reputation of the nursing profession. Authorities said the nurses failed to maintain discipline and hygiene in the sensitive operation theater environment.

Hospital Superintendent Dr. Mohammad Saiful Islam confirmed receipt of the suspension order and said further action would follow after the investigation committee submits its report. The incident had earlier sparked widespread discussion and criticism across the district.

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.