Incidents of violence against women and children have increased across Bangladesh, with police records showing between 1,440 and 2,097 complaints filed monthly in 2025. Over a ten-month period, around 19,000 cases were recorded nationwide. Many victims reportedly avoid filing cases due to fear of social stigma, threats from influential individuals, or the risk of being humiliated through leaked videos. The Police Headquarters reported that 80 percent of the cases involve domestic violence, while others relate to dowry, rape, and sexual harassment.

Police officials stated that all incidents are being investigated and legal action is being taken, emphasizing that no one is above the law. A senior police officer noted that increased police activity and proper legal procedures could help reduce such crimes. Surveys by BBS and UNFPA revealed that 8.3 percent of women and girls have faced gender-based cyber violence, including sexual exploitation, defamation, and online harassment, which are harming their real lives and progress.

Authorities acknowledged that social instability and the rise of technology-driven abuse are changing the nature of violence, prompting calls for stronger preventive measures and legal enforcement.

A powerful snowstorm has struck across the United States, leaving at least three people dead and causing widespread disruption. As of Sunday afternoon local time, around 900,000 customers were without electricity, and more than 10,000 flights had been canceled nationwide, according to a BBC report. The National Weather Service said adverse conditions extended from Texas to New England, forcing the closure of schools and roads across multiple states.

Two people in Louisiana reportedly died from hypothermia, while another fatality occurred in Texas. The storm brought heavy snowfall, sleet, and freezing rain that could persist for several days, potentially affecting more than half of the country’s population. Meteorologist Allison Santorelli from the National Weather Service told CBS News that melting would be slow, hindering snow removal efforts.

Authorities warned that the hazardous weather could continue to disrupt transportation and power services in the coming days as cleanup operations face delays due to persistent cold and ice.

Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that three suspected militants were killed during an intelligence-based operation in Panjgur district of Balochistan on Sunday, January 25. The ISPR stated that the operation targeted members of the group ‘Fitna al Hindustan,’ described as an Indian proxy organization. During the exchange of fire, local commander Farooq alias Soro, along with Adil and Wasim, were killed, and weapons and ammunition were recovered from the site.

According to the ISPR statement, security forces have continued sanitization operations in the area to identify and arrest other suspects. The agency reaffirmed that under the “Azm-e-Istehkam” strategy, operations against foreign-backed terrorism will persist across the country. Geo News noted that since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, terrorist activities have increased in Pakistan’s border regions, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Earlier, ISPR Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that in 2025, law enforcement agencies conducted 75,175 intelligence-based operations nationwide, resulting in the deaths of 2,597 militants.

A Sylhet court has ordered eight officials of Sylhet Medical University to be sent to jail in a corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over alleged irregularities in staff recruitment. On Sunday, January 25, 2026, Sylhet Metropolitan Sessions Judge Munshi Abdul Majid rejected their bail petitions and issued the order. ACC Public Prosecutor Mohammad Shafiul Alam confirmed the court’s decision. The accused include procurement officer Abdul Munim, section officer Rinku Das, Chowdhury Rumman Ahmed, Lokman Ahmed, administrative officer Suranjit Ranjan Talukder, Robiul Alam Bokul, Mohammad Rashedul Islam, and office assistant-cum-computer operator Ruhul Amin.

The case stems from allegations of widespread corruption in recruitment at the university, which was established in 2018. Following complaints, the University Grants Commission (UGC) launched an investigation in 2023 and found evidence of abuse of power and financial irregularities by then Vice-Chancellor Morshed Ahmed Chowdhury and acting registrar Md. Naimul Haque Chowdhury. Based on the findings, the ACC’s Sylhet office filed a case on April 1, 2024, against 58 individuals, including the former vice-chancellor and registrar. Arrest warrants were issued on April 25, 2024, and several other officials had previously been denied bail in the same case.

A 20-year-old patient named Nazmin Akter died after jumping from the eighth floor of the new building of Dhaka Medical College (DMCH) Hospital on Sunday night, January 25. According to her family, the incident occurred around 7:45 p.m. when her mother went to the bathroom and her father stepped out to collect a report. Nazmin, who had been admitted a week earlier with kidney complications and other illnesses, reportedly jumped from the back side of the building.

Nazmin was from Galachipa in Patuakhali and was the mother of a four-month-old child. Her father, Jalal Khondokar, said she married in 2021 to a farmer named Raihan. Family sources stated that Nazmin’s husband had not been in contact for a long time and did not contribute to her medical expenses. They believe prolonged illness and her husband’s neglect may have driven her to take her own life.

Inspector Md. Faruk, in charge of the DMCH police outpost, said initial discussions with relatives suggest the death was a suicide. The hospital authorities and Shahbagh police have been informed.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Monday sentenced three former senior Dhaka Metropolitan Police officials to death for crimes against humanity in connection with the killing of six people, including Shahriar Khan Anas, during the July Revolution in the capital’s Chan Kharpul area. The verdict was delivered at 12:30 p.m. by a three-member panel led by Chairman Golam Mortuza Mojumdar. The tribunal also handed various prison terms to five other accused, bringing the total number of defendants in the case to eight.

Those sentenced to death are former DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman, former Joint Commissioner Sudip Kumar Chakraborty, and former Additional Deputy Commissioner Shah Alam Mohammad Akhtarul Islam. Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Imrul received six years, Inspector Arshad Hossain four years, and constables Sujan, Imaje Hossain Iman, and Nasirul Islam three years each. Four of the accused are currently in custody, while the rest remain absconding.

Prosecutor Gazi Tamim stated that the prosecution presented testimony from 26 witnesses along with extensive documentary, audio, video, and forensic evidence. He said the evidence proved the charges beyond doubt and requested confiscation of fugitive convicts’ properties to compensate victims’ families.

A violent attack took place on the night of January 24 in Fatullah, Narayanganj, when a group of 15 to 20 assailants vandalized and fired shots at the private office of S.K. Shahin, joint convener of the Fatullah Thana Volunteer Party. The incident occurred around 11:10 p.m. near ABC School in the Shibumarket Kayempur Bottola area. The attackers reportedly broke into the locked office, damaged furniture, CCTV cameras, and several vehicles parked outside before leaving the scene.

According to Shahin, the attackers were working for an independent candidate expelled from the BNP, while he was campaigning for the BNP alliance candidate. Local residents, however, claimed that Shahin had been involved in extortion, land grabbing, and drug trade control in the area after a mass uprising, leading to a long-standing conflict with a known drug dealer named Robin from Kutub Ail. Police said an investigation is underway, and legal action is being taken to identify and arrest those involved.

Shahin has filed a written complaint with Fatullah Model Police Station against 15 to 20 unidentified individuals.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 is set to deliver its verdict today, Monday, in the case concerning the killing of six people, including Shahriar Khan Anas, during the July uprising in Dhaka’s Chankharpul area. The three-member judicial panel, led by Chairman Golam Mortuza Mojumdar, will announce the judgment. The verdict was initially scheduled for January 20 but was postponed as it was not ready. The tribunal fixed today’s date after concluding arguments from both prosecution and defense on December 24.

Prosecutor Gazi Tamim stated that the prosecution presented testimony from 26 witnesses along with extensive documentary, audio, video, and forensic evidence. These included recorded conversations, wireless messages, and footage of police firing. The prosecution argued that the evidence proved the charges beyond doubt and sought maximum punishment for the accused, confiscation of fugitive defendants’ assets, and compensation for victims’ families.

Eight former and current police officers are accused, four of whom are in custody while the rest remain fugitives. The charges include conspiracy, incitement, assistance, and direct involvement in the killings, with senior officers also facing superior command responsibility.

The global gold price has reached a new record, surpassing five thousand dollars per ounce for the first time. According to the report, the surge is linked to financial and geopolitical uncertainty arising from tensions between the United States and Europe over Greenland. The market also saw silver prices exceed one hundred dollars per ounce on Friday, marking another historic high.

The report notes that investors often turn to gold and other precious metals as safe-haven assets during times of instability. Factors such as higher-than-usual inflation, a weaker US dollar, and increased gold purchases by central banks worldwide have further boosted demand. Ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, along with the US action involving Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, have also contributed to the price rise.

The World Gold Council trade association stated that only 216,265 tons of gold have been mined to date, underscoring the metal’s scarcity as a key driver of its enduring appeal.

Police in Gopalganj Sadar upazila arrested an 18-year-old named Rahat Chowdhury on Sunday, January 25, 2026, for allegedly impersonating a member of the Bangladesh Army to commit fraud. He was sent to jail through the court the same day. Rahat, son of Delowar Chowdhury from Bhagyakul village in Srinagar upazila of Munshiganj, had been living in a rented house in Maulvibpara, Gopalganj.

According to local and police sources, Rahat was seen roaming suspiciously on Saturday night near Munshibari in Borni Dakshinpara of Tungipara upazila with a walkie-talkie in his pocket. When questioned by locals, he claimed to be an army officer engaged in intelligence work but failed to show any valid identification. Locals then informed the police, and a joint team from the army camp and Tungipara police arrested him, recovering a walkie-talkie from his possession.

Tungipara Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ayub Ali confirmed the incident, stating that Rahat admitted during preliminary questioning that he worked at a shop in Gopalganj town and was visiting a friend. A case has been filed against him, and he has been sent to the district jail.

A joint operation by the Coast Guard, Navy, and Police in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, led to the seizure of illegal drugs and weapons worth about Tk 6 crore. The operation, conducted on Saturday, January 24, 2026, under the banner of Operation Devil Hunt Phase-2, resulted in the arrest of three suspected drug traffickers. The recovered items included 1.25 kilograms of crystal meth (ice), 126 yaba tablets, one single-barrel gun, two walkie-talkies, 47 rounds of live ammunition, and eight locally made weapons.

According to Coast Guard Chattogram East Zone media officer Lt. Commander Suman Al Mukit, one of the detainees, Arafat Sani, is alleged to be the deputy publicity and publication secretary of the Teknaf Upazila Swechchhasebak League and president of the organization’s Ward No. 1 unit. The seized evidence and detainees were handed over to Teknaf Model Police Station for legal action. The Coast Guard stated that similar operations will continue to maintain law and order in the region.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) conducted an operation in the border area of Shyamnagar upazila in Satkhira, recovering firearms, ammunition, and a large quantity of drugs. The raid took place around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 24, under the Nil Dumur Battalion (17 BGB) at the jurisdiction of the Nil Dumur RBG Company’s Koikhali Border Outpost. The operation was led by Havildar Md. Shahabur Rahman.

According to BGB sources, the seized items were found abandoned about one kilometer from the outpost and 200 meters south of the international border near the Koikhali sluice gate embankment. The recovered materials included a foreign revolver, six rounds of ammunition, 3,500 pieces of Indian yaba tablets, and 50 bottles of Indian cough syrup branded as ‘Win Carex’. The estimated market value of the seized goods is approximately Tk 1,131,200.

BGB reported that the firearms and ammunition have been handed over to Shyamnagar Police Station for legal action, while the drugs were transferred to the battalion headquarters. Legal proceedings are currently underway.

Eighteen microphones and five coils of wire were stolen from the election rally of Tareq Rahman in Chattogram, despite tight security measures. The theft occurred on Saturday night around the Polo Ground area, and a written complaint was filed with the Kotwali Police Station on Sunday morning by Abdur Razzak, owner of Dhaka Raj Sound System. He reported that 200 microphones had been installed for the rally, of which 18 and several coils of wire went missing.

Authorities had imposed strict security around the venue, deploying police, RAB, and intelligence personnel. The Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) had banned drones, weapons, explosives, and any potentially hazardous items in and around the rally grounds. Despite these precautions, the theft took place, drawing mixed reactions when it became known on Sunday afternoon.

The sound system owner said two guards had been assigned to watch over the equipment overnight. Attempts to contact Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Aftab Uddin for comment were unsuccessful.

A young man was burned to death while sleeping inside a car workshop in Narsingdi’s Police Lines area late Friday night, January 23. The victim, identified as 23-year-old Chanchal Chandra Bhowmik from Lakshmipur village in Cumilla’s Barura upazila, worked at the workshop located in the Mosque Market. According to police and locals, unidentified individuals set fire under the shop’s shutter, causing a rapid blaze fueled by petrol and lubricants stored inside.

CCTV footage reportedly shows several people deliberately igniting the fire. Attempts to contact the shop owner, Md. Rubel Mia, were unsuccessful. Dr. Gulshana Kabir of Narsingdi Sadar Hospital confirmed that the body was brought in completely charred and later handed over to the family after autopsy. Officer-in-Charge A.R.M. Al Mamun said police recovered the body and collected CCTV footage, while multiple teams are working to identify the culprits.

Superintendent of Police Abdullah Al Faruk confirmed that the victim’s family is preparing to file a case. No arrests had been made as of the report’s publication.

A 21-year-old man named Animesh Bala died after allegedly consuming homemade liquor in the Kadambari area of Rajair upazila, Madaripur, on Saturday night. According to local and police sources, Animesh, son of Asim Bala from Sriphaldi village in Kotalipara upazila of Gopalganj, had come to Kadambari on Friday to visit during the Saraswati Puja. He reportedly drank locally brewed liquor at the Ganesh Pagol Sebashram field and later fell ill. His companions left him at a local garage when his condition worsened. After showing no improvement throughout Saturday, he was taken to a local hospital that night, where doctors declared him dead.

A local resident, requesting anonymity, said such incidents are not new in Kadambari, noting that another person named Pachu had died in a similar way recently. The area is known for widespread production of homemade liquor, attracting drinkers from distant places. Rajair police confirmed the death and sent the body to Madaripur Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy.