The government has initiated a direct purchase (DPM) process to procure coal for the RPCL-Norinco power plant in Patuakhali, aiming to start commercial operation quickly. Officials said the move seeks to bypass prolonged tender delays that have kept the 1,320-megawatt plant idle since its test run in April last year. The project, built with $2.54 billion including $1.77 billion in Chinese loans, faces repayment pressure from lenders as coal shortages prevent full operation.

Sector experts and senior Supreme Court lawyers have criticized the decision, calling it a violation of a High Court ruling that upheld a Singapore-based company’s right to supply coal after multiple tenders were canceled. They argue the government’s direct purchase plan exceeds its authority and could create long-term complications. The RPCL board has also approved emergency coal procurement from the EPC contractor consortium and plans to send a committee to Indonesia to identify potential mines.

Experts warn that bypassing competitive tenders and relying on EPC contractors for coal could increase project costs, deepen dependency on imports, and further delay stable power generation.

A four-year-old boy named Md. Mezbaha has gone missing after falling into a deep tube well hole in Raozan, Chattogram. The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Barua Para in Ward 9 of Kadolpur Union. Fire service and police teams have launched a rescue operation, but the child has not yet been found. Witnesses said Mezbaha fell into a narrow pipe-shaped hole while playing in a field, and his cries were heard before he slipped deeper into the hole during the rescue attempt.

Local residents reported that the hole had been left open for about a year after being dug for a government project. They estimated its depth to be between 40 and 50 feet. Raozan Police Station Officer-in-Charge SM Sajedul Islam confirmed that police and fire service teams were working together to rescue the child.

The report also noted a similar recent incident in Tanore, Rajshahi, where a two-year-old child died after falling into a deep tube well hole.

A fire broke out at a vegetable market in Sector 11 of Uttara, Dhaka, on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at 5:38 p.m. According to Fire Service duty officer Rakib Hasan, the blaze was brought under control by 6:08 p.m. with the efforts of five fire service units. No casualties have been reported so far.

Rakib Hasan stated that the extent of the damage has not yet been determined as the final report is pending. The cause of the fire was not mentioned in the initial information provided. The incident follows a previous fire on January 16 in a six-story residential building in Uttara that resulted in six deaths.

Authorities are expected to assess the losses once the final report is completed, while the absence of injuries or fatalities in this case marks a relief compared to the earlier residential fire in the same area.

A Dhaka court has granted a three-day remand for Faisal Rubel Ahmed, a close associate of Faisal Karim Masud, the prime accused in the murder of Inquilab Mancha convener Shahid Sharif Osman Hadi. The order was issued on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam. CID’s Assistant Superintendent of Police Abdur Kadir Bhuiyan had sought a seven-day remand for further interrogation, but the court approved three days. The prosecution confirmed the decision through SI Md. Ruknuzzaman.

Earlier, on January 22, the same court had granted a six-day remand for Rubel following his arrest from South Keraniganj’s Ati Nayabazar area on January 21 with the help of the Detective Branch. The investigation officer stated that Rubel had already provided significant information during his previous remand, but further verification was needed. The prosecution argued that Rubel was one of the key accused and that two mobile phones recovered from him had been sent for forensic analysis.

Rubel denied involvement, claiming mistaken identity, but the investigation officer maintained that he was indeed the accused associate of Faisal Karim Masud. The court then approved the additional three-day remand.

Bangladeshi fact-checking organization Rumor Scanner has identified at least 126 incidents in 2025 where Indian users spread false information about Bangladesh on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The organization reported that these efforts aimed to create confusion and misinformation regarding Bangladesh.

According to Rumor Scanner, Indian-origin misinformation about Bangladesh was also found on other platforms, including 54 cases on Facebook, 30 on Instagram, 25 on YouTube, one on TikTok, and 38 in Indian media outlets. The group noted that since 2024, there has been a rise in false narratives from Indian media and social media accounts, both from India and within Bangladesh, targeting topics such as the interim government, Khagrachhari issues, and groups involved in the 2024 movement.

Rumor Scanner stated that it has identified hundreds of false claims circulating online, indicating a growing trend of misinformation campaigns involving Bangladesh across multiple digital platforms.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has arrested Habibur Rahman, former chief engineer of the Civil Aviation Authority, on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. An ACC source confirmed the arrest, which follows four corruption cases filed against him a year earlier. Rahman is accused of embezzling several thousand crore taka through irregularities in development projects at three international airports.

According to ACC allegations, Rahman was involved in corruption and illegal wealth accumulation throughout his career. While serving as a supervising engineer, he was linked to major projects of the Civil Aviation Authority, allegedly earning large sums through bribery and misuse of authority. In the Cox’s Bazar airport expansion project, he reportedly delayed releasing a government payment of Tk 50 crore to pursue bribes, causing a threefold increase in compensation costs and a Tk 100 crore loss to the government.

Investigations reportedly confirmed the allegations, but Rahman had previously avoided consequences by managing senior officials. His arrest marks a renewed effort by the ACC to address corruption in major infrastructure projects.

Police in Fatullah, Narayanganj arrested a man named Mainul Islam Pavel early Tuesday night with a foreign-made pistol and one round of ammunition. The arrest took place in the Shashangao area following a raid conducted by a team from Fatullah Model Police Station under the direction of Additional Superintendent of Police (K-Circle) Md. Hasinuzzaman and led by Officer-in-Charge Md. Abdul Mannan. Sub-Inspector Ashish and Assistant Sub-Inspector Hamid participated in the operation.

Local sources identified Pavel as a close associate of Azmeri Osman, son of the late Narayanganj-5 Member of Parliament Nasim Osman. Allegations suggest that he was involved in various criminal activities in the BISIC industrial area and nearby locations during the previous government. Police stated that a case under the Arms Act is being processed against him.

Authorities are verifying whether Pavel has any prior cases and are investigating the source of the recovered weapon as well as possible involvement of others in the incident.

Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania’s new film “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” centered on the Palestinian crisis, has secured a place in the final nominations for the upcoming 98th Academy Awards. The film, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September last year to record-breaking standing ovations, will compete in the Best International Feature Film category. The Oscars ceremony is scheduled for March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in California, with the final nominations announced on January 22.

Alongside Tunisia’s entry, the category includes films from Brazil, France, Norway, and Spain. Despite submissions from seven African countries, Tunisia is the only one to reach the final list. This marks Ben Hania’s third Oscar nomination, following previous recognition for “The Man Who Sold His Skin” (2020) and “Four Daughters” (2023). She remains the only Tunisian filmmaker to receive multiple Oscar nominations.

“The Voice of Hind Rajab” depicts the January 2024 Gaza attack that killed five-year-old Hind Rajab, her relatives, and paramedics. The film’s executive producers include Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Alfonso Cuarón, and Jonathan Glazer.

Former Lieutenant Colonel Hasinur Rahman testified before International Crimes Tribunal-1 that the walls of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence’s (DGFI) notorious detention cell known as 'Aynaghar' contained no mirrors. He made the statement on Wednesday during cross-examination by defense lawyer Azizur Rahman Dulu, representing former DGFI director Mahbubur Rahman Siddiqui. The case concerns allegations of abduction and torture at the Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC), also referred to as Aynaghar, involving death-row convict Sheikh Hasina and twelve current and former army officers.

During questioning, Hasinur clarified that 'Aynaghar' was merely a codename, not a literal description. He also discussed his army background, stating his BA number and course details, and mentioned that his service records were reportedly transferred to India, though he could not recall the source of that information. He denied claims that his testimony was coached by prosecutors and said he had not received a written summons but was verbally instructed to appear.

Hasinur further stated he was held in enforced disappearance for 43 days and later visited DGFI premises only once after August 5, 2024, to assist in rescuing detainees.

A Dhaka court has ordered the imprisonment of Md. Kamal Hossain, a Senior Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Public Administration, in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The case alleges that he fraudulently used his freedom fighter uncle’s identity as his father to obtain a BCS cadre position under the freedom fighter quota. On Wednesday, January 28, 2026, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md. Sabbir Foyez canceled his bail and ordered him to jail.

According to the ACC’s public prosecutor, Kamal Hossain had previously secured a four-week anticipatory bail from the High Court on December 15, 2025, and later sought bail from the Dhaka court on December 23. The court granted conditional bail pending DNA verification, but after he failed twice to comply with bail conditions, the court revoked his bail. The ACC case, filed on December 26, 2025, accuses him of falsifying parental information to gain admission and employment benefits under the quota.

The charges were brought under Penal Code sections 420, 467, 468, and 471 for fraud and forgery related to his educational and employment records.

A Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal has sentenced five people to death in the murder case of Sayedur Rahman Basu in Gopalganj. The verdict was delivered on Wednesday at 11 a.m. by Judge Md. Rahibul Islam of Speedy Trial Tribunal-1. In addition to the death sentences, four individuals were given life imprisonment until death, and eleven others received life terms. Each convicted person was also fined 10,000 taka. The tribunal’s public prosecutor, Abdur Rashid Molla, confirmed the ruling and stated that the prosecution was satisfied with the verdict.

According to the case details, Sayedur Rahman Basu, former president of the Gopalganj District Motor Workers’ Union, was murdered in 2016. His younger brother, Jasu Sheikh, filed the case at Gopalganj Sadar Police Station on February 19 of that year. On July 12, 2016, investigating officer and sub-inspector Hazrat Ali submitted a charge sheet against 23 accused. The Gopalganj District Judge’s Court began the trial on August 29, 2017, and the case was later transferred to the Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 on August 16, 2018 for final adjudication.

A devastating snowstorm has paralyzed life across 14 U.S. states, with the death toll rising to 38. The storm has blanketed roads in the central and eastern regions under thick snow, severely disrupting transportation and leading to the cancellation of thousands of flights. The U.S. weather agency has warned that the extreme cold is expected to persist for several more days.

Temperatures have dropped below freezing in Tennessee, Arkansas, and North Carolina, with forecasts indicating further decline by Wednesday night. The National Weather Service has cautioned that conditions could worsen in the eastern United States on Friday and Saturday, with another winter storm expected to hit parts of the East Coast and record low temperatures predicted as far south as Florida.

More than 550,000 homes and businesses have lost power, including over 135,000 in Nashville, Tennessee. Local authorities there reported that homeless shelters are full, and police and firefighters are working extended hours to manage the crisis.

Two people, including a madrasa student, were killed and at least three others seriously injured when a speeding truck lost control and rammed into a stationary CNG-run autorickshaw in Mirsarai, Chattogram. The accident occurred around 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday near the Zahedia Madrasa area of Baratakia Bazar along the Dhaka–Chattogram Highway. Witnesses said the autorickshaw was stopped for passengers when the truck, heading toward Chattogram, struck it from behind, crushing the vehicle and killing two people on the spot. The truck then plunged into a roadside pond.

One of the deceased was identified as Khadija Mashmum, a tenth-grade student of Baratakia Zahedia Dakhil Madrasa, while the other victim was an unidentified pedestrian. The injured were taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital for treatment. Police and fire service teams quickly reached the scene to conduct rescue operations and restore traffic flow.

According to police, the crash caused temporary congestion on the Chattogram-bound lane, which was later cleared after rescue efforts.

A major portion of Mamar Ghat, an important river transport hub under Mongla municipality in Bagerhat, has collapsed into the Pashur River due to severe erosion. The incident has left around 10,000 daily commuters facing acute travel disruptions, while fear and uncertainty spread across the area. Residents along the riverbank are relocating homes and belongings to safer places as the erosion continues.

According to local accounts, the erosion has been ongoing for three years but intensified recently due to heavy upstream runoff that raised river levels and increased current pressure. Illegal sand extraction along the riverbank has worsened the situation, destabilizing the river’s natural flow and embankments. Locals allege that unregulated sand lifting over the past decade has triggered the current crisis, severely affecting transport to the nearby Export Processing Zone (EPZ).

Mongla municipal administrator and Upazila Executive Officer Sharmin Akter Sumi said sand-filled geobags are being placed to curb the erosion. Residents, however, question why preventive measures and enforcement against illegal sand mining were not taken earlier.

A joint operation by the Bangladesh Army and Tungipara police in Gopalganj led to the arrest of one person with 36 kilograms and 600 grams of cannabis. The operation took place on Tuesday evening between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. near Nilfa Bazar highway under the initiative of the Tungipara Army Camp. The detained individual, identified as Md. Kawsar, 28, from Pirojpur’s Shankar Pasha Union, was apprehended during a search of a passenger bus named Welcome Express.

According to an army press release, the checkpoint was set up based on secret intelligence. The army official stated that a large quantity of cannabis was recovered and reaffirmed the army’s zero-tolerance policy toward narcotics. A police officer from Tungipara confirmed that a case under the Narcotics Control Act is being processed against the detainee.

Authorities said the suspect was handed over to Tungipara police after initial questioning. The joint forces, including the army, police, and district administration, plan to continue regular checkpoints and patrols to maintain security and curb drug trafficking in Gopalganj.