A Sirajganj court has sentenced ten people, including a husband, wife, and their son, to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of Badiuzzaman in Kamarkhand upazila. Each convict was also fined 20,000 taka, with an additional three months of imprisonment in default. The verdict was delivered on Tuesday afternoon by Judge Laila Sharmin of the Sirajganj Additional District and Sessions Judge Court-1. According to the Additional Public Prosecutor, six convicts were present during the verdict, while four remain absconding.

The case originated from a 2011 land dispute and local election rivalry in Moynakandi village. Badiuzzaman had legally purchased three decimals of land, which neighbor Abu Sayeed later occupied. Following threats and escalating tension, Badiuzzaman went missing on June 24, 2011, and was found dead the next morning with his throat slit. His wife Ratna Begum filed a murder case naming nine individuals, and police submitted a charge sheet against ten accused in January 2012.

The court’s ruling concludes a long-running legal process over the killing that stemmed from both property and political conflicts.

RAB-1 conducted a late-night raid on the fifth floor of Khokon Villa in Tongi’s Dattapara area, Gazipur, arresting three individuals allegedly involved in a counterfeit money operation. The raid took place around 11:30 p.m. on Monday, and the arrests were confirmed the following morning through a press release by RAB-1 Senior Assistant Director (Media) Md. Rakib Hasan.

According to RAB, the operation followed a tip-off that a group had set up a counterfeit currency factory in the building. During the raid, officers seized fake notes worth Tk 5.4 lakh, printed sheets of counterfeit notes worth Tk 9.1 lakh, and a large quantity of printing and processing equipment, including printers, laptops, and chemicals. The arrested men were identified as Arif Raihan, Rubel Mia, and Zahidul Islam alias Sabuj.

RAB stated that the suspects had long been engaged in producing and selling counterfeit money. They, along with the seized materials, were handed over to Tongi East Police Station for further legal action.

At least eight people have died and fourteen remain missing after a fire broke out early Monday at a momo manufacturing factory and an adjacent warehouse in southeastern Kolkata, West Bengal. The blaze, which began in a decorator’s warehouse in the Anandapur area, spread rapidly to the nearby factory containing large amounts of flammable materials. As of Tuesday afternoon, the fire had not been fully extinguished.

Relatives of the victims said the missing individuals were inside the warehouse and factory when the fire started, and many are feared dead. Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari posted a list of fourteen missing persons on social media, though officials have not confirmed the number. Witnesses described desperate phone calls from trapped workers as the fire intensified.

State Fire Minister Sujit Bose, who visited the site on Tuesday, said rescue operations were delayed due to extreme heat inside the warehouse and complex construction that made access difficult. Authorities will investigate whether proper fire safety measures were in place at the facility.

Two Bangladeshi fishermen were seriously injured after being shot by members of Myanmar’s armed group Arakan Army while fishing on the Naf River near Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday afternoon. The injured were identified as Md. Sohel, 16, and Md. Obaidullah, 17, both residents of Hwaikyang Union in Teknaf. Local union member Kabir Ahmad confirmed that around 10–15 rounds were fired from the Myanmar side toward the fishermen.

Following the incident, local fishermen rescued the injured and took them to the Kutupalong MSF hospital for treatment. It remains unclear whether the fishermen were within Bangladesh’s territorial waters or had crossed into Myanmar’s side when the shooting occurred. Hwaikyang Police Outpost’s Sub-Inspector Khokon Kanti Rudra said he had received reports of the injuries, while the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Jhimmongkhali Company Commander stated that the matter had been reported to higher authorities.

Authorities are investigating the exact location of the incident and awaiting further instructions from senior officials.

Oman has assured that work visas for Bangladeshi workers will be reopened within the next two months. The decision came following a meeting between Dr. Asif Nazrul, adviser to Bangladesh’s interim Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, and Oman’s Minister of Labour Dr. Mahad bin Saeed bin Ali Bawain Salim Al-Busaidi. The discussion took place on the sidelines of the Global Labour Market Conference in Riyadh.

During the meeting, Dr. Nazrul praised Oman’s initiative to regularize undocumented Bangladeshi workers without penalties and requested opportunities for skilled professionals such as engineers, doctors, and nurses to enter Oman’s labour market. He also urged reconsideration of the suspension on work visas for unskilled and semi-skilled workers.

Oman’s labour minister explained that the suspension, imposed in 2023, aimed to prioritize the regularization of irregular migrant workers. He confirmed that after reviewing the situation, Oman would resume issuing work visas for Bangladesh soon. Dr. Nazrul also proposed holding the next Joint Technical Committee session in Muscat and signing a finalized memorandum of understanding to strengthen bilateral labour cooperation.

Indonesia’s navy confirmed that 23 marines were killed after being trapped in a landslide in West Java province. The incident occurred early Saturday in Pasir Langu village of Bandung Barat district, about 100 kilometers southeast of Jakarta. Navy spokesperson First Admiral Tunggul said the marines were participating in a training exercise linked to patrol preparations along the Indonesia–Papua New Guinea border when heavy rain triggered the landslide.

According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, the death toll from the landslide had risen to 20 by Tuesday afternoon, with 42 people still missing. It was not immediately clear whether the military casualties were included in that figure. Around 800 rescuers, including soldiers and police, along with nine excavators, were deployed to search for the missing. Authorities evacuated 685 residents from the affected village to local government buildings for shelter.

The disaster struck during the peak of the rainy season across Java, which has recently experienced widespread flooding. Two months earlier, floods and landslides on Sumatra island caused about 1,200 deaths and displaced more than one million people.

Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez has forecast that the country could attract around $1.4 billion in foreign investment in its oil sector in 2026. She said the projected amount would represent about a 55 percent increase compared to 2025 if planned reforms are implemented. Rodríguez made the remarks during a public consultation meeting with business leaders on opening the oil industry to private investment.

According to AFP reports from Caracas, Rodríguez explained that a proposed bill aimed at easing long-standing state control over the energy sector is awaiting final approval in parliament. She noted that last year’s oil investment stood at about $900 million, while contracts worth $1.4 billion have already been signed for the current year. She emphasized that Venezuela, which holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, must regain a strong production position.

Rodríguez assumed the interim presidency on January 3 after U.S. special forces ousted Nicolás Maduro. She now faces U.S. pressure to grant American oil companies access to Venezuelan fields, a condition reportedly tied to former U.S. president Donald Trump’s support for her leadership.

A Sylhet court has ordered the imprisonment of Naimul Haque Chowdhury, former acting registrar of Sylhet Medical University, in a corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The order was issued on Tuesday afternoon by Sylhet Metropolitan Sessions Judge Munshi Abdul Majid after Chowdhury surrendered before the court and sought bail. The judge rejected his bail plea and directed that he be sent to jail.

According to the ACC’s Sylhet office, the case involves allegations of irregularities and corruption in staff recruitment at Sylhet Medical University. The University Grants Commission (UGC) had investigated the matter in 2023 and found evidence of abuse of power and recruitment irregularities by then Vice-Chancellor Dr. Morshed Ahmed Chowdhury and acting registrar Naimul Haque Chowdhury. The ACC filed the case on April 1, 2024, against 58 officials and employees, including both accused.

The court had earlier issued arrest warrants for all 58 accused on April 25, 2024. The main accused, Vice-Chancellor Dr. Morshed Ahmed Chowdhury, remains absconding.

Ha-Meem Group of Industries Managing Director AK Azad said that Bangladesh’s tight monetary policy has already led to the loss of 1.2 million jobs, with another 1.2 million at risk in the next six months. Speaking on Tuesday at a roundtable titled “Implications of LDC Graduation for Banking Industry: Bangladesh Perspective,” organized by the International Chamber of Commerce Bangladesh (ICC), Azad argued that inflation cannot be reduced solely through monetary tightening, as it is linked to revenue and other factors. The event was attended by Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H. Mansur, ICC President Mahbubur Rahman, and several business and banking leaders.

Citing a study by Ahsan Habib, Azad noted that LDC graduation could reduce exports to the European Union by 45 percent and that the banking sector’s non-performing loans have reached 30 percent due to a slowdown in the ready-made garments industry. He warned that this could deepen liquidity pressures, with default rates at 50 percent in state banks and 30 percent in private ones. Azad added that the private sector has taken only 6 percent of total bank loans, compared to the government’s 27 percent, which may rise to 32 percent.

He emphasized that without boosting investment and employment, the economy cannot be stabilized through monetary policy alone and urged the new government to address the impacts of LDC graduation promptly.

The United States has sharply criticized the European Union over its long-awaited free trade agreement with India, accusing Europe of indirectly financing the Russia–Ukraine war. Senior economic officials in the Trump administration claimed that by purchasing refined Russian oil from India, Europe is unintentionally supporting Moscow’s war efforts. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that although Europe has restricted direct oil trade with Russia, its imports of refined oil from India amount to indirect funding of the conflict.

Bessent described Europe’s approach as unbalanced compared to Washington’s tougher stance. He noted that the US has imposed a 50 percent tariff on India as a punitive measure while Europe continues to benefit by buying refined oil. His comments came as India and the EU prepared to formally announce the trade deal after nearly 14 years of negotiations. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called the agreement “the mother of all trade deals.”

The announcement adds a new dimension to global trade amid existing tensions driven by US tariff policies and the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war.

India and the European Union have finalized a landmark free trade agreement after almost twenty years of intermittent negotiations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Tuesday. The deal, reached amid global uncertainty surrounding the United States, aims to strengthen alternative economic and strategic ties between the two sides. It will open India’s large and relatively protected market to the 27 EU member states, while the EU remains India’s largest trading partner.

Modi described the agreement as a major breakthrough, calling it the “mother of all deals” that will create new opportunities for India’s 1.4 billion people and millions across Europe. He and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are expected to present the details at the India–EU summit in New Delhi. In the 2024–25 fiscal year, bilateral trade between India and the EU reached 136.5 billion dollars.

According to an Indian government official, the agreement is now undergoing legal review, expected to take five to six months. Once completed, it could come into effect within a year of formal signing.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 has concluded arguments in the case concerning the murder of Begum Rokeya University student Abu Sayeed, recognized as the first martyr of the July 24 uprising. The tribunal announced on Tuesday that the verdict could be delivered at any time. Prosecutor Mizanul Islam presented the prosecution’s arguments on January 22, citing witness testimonies, seized evidence, and official documents to establish the accused’s involvement.

The prosecution’s argument phase began on January 21 and continued for three days before the defense was scheduled to present its case. According to case documents, the investigation officer Ruhul Amin was cross-examined on January 14, and testimony from 25 witnesses was recorded. Of the 30 accused, six are currently in custody, including a former university proctor and several law enforcement and political figures, while 24 remain absconding. Four state-appointed lawyers are representing the fugitives.

The formal trial began on August 27 last year after the tribunal framed charges against the 30 accused on August 6, following submission of the investigation report in June.

Port workers at Benapole land port in Jashore staged a human chain protest on Tuesday morning demanding reinstatement of their discontinued allowance. The demonstration, held from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in front of the cargo vehicle terminal under the banner of the Land Port Demand Implementation Council, led to a complete halt in import, export, and unloading operations for one hour, causing congestion inside the port.

Speakers at the protest said they had been receiving the allowance for 21 years as compensation for overtime work, but the government stopped the payment two months ago without prior notice. They described the decision as causing severe financial and mental hardship for employees. Around 150 workers participated in the event, chanting slogans for reinstatement of the benefit.

Warehouse inspectors Shahadat Hossain, Hafizur Rahman, and Nahid Parvez addressed the gathering, warning that if their demands were not met soon, they would announce tougher protest programs in the future.

A schoolgirl was killed and an autorickshaw driver injured when a speeding dump truck hit their vehicle on the Lakshmipur–Chaumuhani regional highway in front of the LGED office in Lakshmipur on Tuesday morning. The victim, Afreen, aged 10, was the daughter of Md. Akter Patowary from South Majupur area of Lakshmipur municipality and a student of Kakoli Shishu Angan School. The accident occurred around 7:30 a.m. when the truck, coming from Noakhali, struck the autorickshaw from behind.

Locals rescued the injured and took them to Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared Afreen dead. The autorickshaw driver, Raju, was later transferred to Dhaka for advanced treatment as his condition worsened. Police confirmed the incident, recovered the body, and sent it to the hospital morgue. The truck involved in the crash was seized, but its driver fled the scene.

Authorities have not yet provided further details about the driver or the cause of the accident, and an investigation is expected to follow.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has challenged the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC), claiming that every bus operated by the state-run company emits black smoke. She made the remarks on Tuesday at the BRTC Training Institute in Tejgaon during the inauguration of a training program aimed at improving driver and worker skills and raising awareness about noise pollution.

Hasan expressed frustration over the delay in finalizing the government’s scrap policy, which was supposed to be completed on October 28 of the previous year. She said she had repeatedly contacted officials over the past ten months about the issue. The adviser emphasized that without strict action against polluting vehicles, no real progress could be achieved. She also urged BRTC and the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) to take coordinated steps to ensure proper maintenance of old buses.

She added that while replacing old buses may take time, operators should at least maintain their vehicles properly, noting that after 54 years of operation, there is no reason for further delay in addressing pollution from public transport.