The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Traffic Division conducted a citywide operation on Saturday, January 24, filing 1,502 cases against traffic law violators across various areas of the capital. The information was confirmed in a press release signed by Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Talebur Rahman of the DMP Media and Public Relations Department on Sunday, January 25.

According to DMP traffic sources, the breakdown of cases includes 73 in Ramna, 112 in Lalbagh, 189 in Motijheel, 95 in Wari, 145 in Tejgaon, 696 in Mirpur, 89 in Uttara, and 103 in Gulshan. During the operation, 362 vehicles were dumped and 150 were towed by wreckers.

The press release stated that the DMP Traffic Division will continue its operations to maintain traffic discipline across the Dhaka metropolitan area.

The interim government’s Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved an additional Tk 25,592 crore for the Ruppur Nuclear Power Plant project, raising its total cost from Tk 113,092 crore to Tk 138,685 crore. The decision was made at ECNEC’s final meeting before the upcoming national election, chaired by Chief Adviser and ECNEC Chairperson Dr. Muhammad Yunus at the NEC Conference Room in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka. Planning Adviser Dr. Wahiduddin Mahmud said the entire cost increase will be financed through project loans.

According to the Planning Ministry, the revised Development Project Proposal (DPP) recommends a 22.63 percent cost increase and extends the project deadline from 2024 to June 2028. The government’s direct funding share has been reduced by Tk 166 crore to Tk 21,886 crore, while project loans have risen to Tk 116,799 crore. Implemented with Russian cooperation, the plant aims to generate 2,400 megawatts of electricity from two units with a 60-year lifespan, extendable by 20 years.

The ECNEC meeting also approved 25 projects worth Tk 45,191 crore, including a 1,000-bed Bangladesh-China Friendship General Hospital and several infrastructure, transport, and environmental initiatives.

The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) has issued an urgent directive to ensure that the January 2026 salaries of MPO-listed teachers and employees are disbursed through the Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) system. The directive, released on Sunday, January 25, outlines the procedures for submitting salary bills online through the EMIS system’s MPO–EFT module.

According to the directive, the EFT-based payment process for MPO funds began on January 1, 2025, with direct transfers to individual bank accounts continuing through July 2025. From August 2025, institution heads have been required to submit bills online using their designated IDs and passwords. Each teacher or employee’s payable amount must be calculated separately and submitted accordingly.

The directive further states that any necessary deductions due to death, resignation, suspension, or unauthorized absence must be properly indicated during bill submission. The information submitted by institution heads will be considered final for EFT processing, and any errors leading to overpayment or complications will be the responsibility of the respective head.

Popular Bangladeshi singer Dilruba Khan, known for her hit song 'Pagol Mon', has released a new musical project featuring a traditional Puthi and Kiccha centered on former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman. The artist announced the initiative on her Facebook page on January 25, 2026, explaining that the two pieces will be released on her YouTube channel 'Dilruba Khan Official' on January 25 and 26.

Dilruba Khan said her goal was not only to highlight two political figures but also to revive the fading folk art forms of rural Bangladesh. She described the project as an effort to bring back the melodic storytelling traditions that once enriched village life but are now disappearing amid modernization. Through rhythm and narrative, she sought to portray aspects of Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman’s lives and struggles.

The singer, who began her career performing songs by Abdul Alim, has long been recognized for her contributions to Bangladeshi folk music and film songs. This latest work continues her commitment to preserving the country’s cultural heritage.

Interim government’s Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin has assured that prices of daily essentials will not rise during the upcoming holy month of Ramadan, and that some items may even become cheaper. He made the statement on Sunday, January 25, 2026, following a taskforce meeting held to review the prices and market situation of essential food products ahead of Ramadan.

The adviser said that imports of daily essentials have increased by 40 percent compared to last year, which will help keep prices within people’s reach. He emphasized that the government expects stability in the market due to the higher import volume. Sheikh Bashir Uddin also commented on irregularities in major infrastructure projects such as the Padma Bridge, Karnaphuli Tunnel, and Payra Port during the previous government’s tenure, claiming that these projects had adverse economic effects.

When asked about any government project to build luxury flats for ministers, the adviser said he was not aware of such an initiative.

A deadly landslide struck a residential area in Indonesia’s West Java province early Saturday, killing at least 10 people and leaving 80 missing. Authorities have relaunched search and rescue operations after heavy rainfall triggered the disaster in a mountainous region. The Indonesian Meteorological Agency had earlier warned of a week of intense rain across West Java and nearby areas.

Local resident Dedi Kurniawan from Pasir Langu village, about 100 kilometers southeast of Jakarta, said he had never seen such a large landslide in the area before. Officials told Kompas TV that unstable terrain and continuous rain prevented rescuers from using heavy machinery, slowing down the operation. Flooding has also been reported in several parts of West Java, including Jakarta and surrounding districts, prompting evacuations to higher ground.

The incident comes just two months after floods and landslides on Sumatra island killed at least 1,200 people and displaced over a million. The new disaster has renewed concerns about Indonesia’s disaster management capacity.

Armed assailants in Gazipur robbed Tk 2.4 million from two agent banking employees of Dutch-Bangla Bank on Sunday afternoon. The incident occurred around 4:15 p.m. near Kazim Uddin Chowdhury High School at Chandna Chowrasta in Gazipur city. According to Basan Police Station Officer-in-Charge Harun-or-Rashid, the robbers fired shots and detonated crude bombs to create panic before assaulting the two employees and seizing the money bag.

The victims, manager Habibur Rahman and his assistant Sohrab, were transporting the cash by motorcycle from the bank’s Bhogra Bypass agent banking outlet to its Chandna Chowrasta branch when the attack took place. The robbers, riding two to three motorcycles, intercepted them, carried out the assault, and fled the scene with the money.

Police visited the scene shortly after the incident and have launched an operation to apprehend the culprits, according to the local police official.

The prosecution has sought the maximum punishment for the accused in the murder of Begum Rokeya University student Abu Sayeed during the anti-discrimination student movement. The arguments were presented before the two-member International Crimes Tribunal-2, led by Md. Manjurul Bashid, where Prosecutor Mizanul Islam made the plea on behalf of the prosecution team that includes Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam and Gazi M.H. Tamim.

The tribunal had earlier, on June 30, accepted formal charges against 30 accused, including the university’s former vice-chancellor Hasibur Rashid. Among them, six are in custody, including former proctor Shariful Islam, former assistant registrar Rafiul Hasan Russell, former police officers Amir Hossain and Sujon Chandra Roy, and banned student leader Imran Chowdhury alias Akash. A total of 25 witnesses, including the investigating officer, have testified in the case.

Abu Sayeed, a 25-year-old English department student and coordinator of the quota reform movement, was shot dead by police near the university on July 16, sparking nationwide outrage and intensifying the student protests.

Two individuals, including a Jubo League leader, were arrested in separate army operations in Barishal’s Gouranadi and Agailjhara upazilas. The raids, conducted on Saturday, led to the recovery of yaba tablets, bullets, and locally made weapons. Separate cases were filed against the detainees, and on Sunday, a court ordered them to be sent to jail.

According to Gouranadi Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Tariq Hasan Russel, army personnel from the temporary Gouranadi camp arrested 37-year-old Raihan Fakir, a member of the Gouranadi municipal Jubo League, from the Kosba area. Authorities seized 103 yaba tablets, 180 rounds of airgun bullets, and local weapons from him. In another operation in Agailjhara’s Ratnapur area, 22-year-old Miraj Hossain was detained with 57 yaba tablets, about 100 grams of cannabis, drug paraphernalia, and local weapons. Agailjhara Police Station Officer-in-Charge Masud Khan confirmed the arrest.

Both suspects were produced before court on Sunday and subsequently sent to jail following the court’s order.

Bagerhat Sadar Upazila Chhatra League president Saddam Hossain did not receive parole release, sparking widespread discussion in media and social platforms. District Commissioner Golam Md. Baten explained that a parole application reached his residence on Friday. After notifying prison authorities, he was informed that since Saddam is imprisoned outside the district, granting parole would violate the 2016 Prison Act. The applicants were informed and expressed satisfaction before leaving, and no further contact was made.

Saddam’s uncle, Md. Hemayet Uddin, said a written application for parole was submitted on January 23 to the district magistrate, who directed it to the Bagerhat jail authority. They clarified they had no jurisdiction and advised applying to the prison where the accused is held. Later, when the family brought the bodies to Jessore jail, Saddam was allowed to view them for only three minutes.

Earlier, Saddam’s wife Kaniz Subarna Swarnali allegedly drowned their nine-month-old child before taking her own life in Bagerhat’s Sabekdanga village. Saddam, arrested after the fall of the Awami League government, remains in Jessore Central Jail facing multiple cases.

A report presented at a press conference held on Sunday at the Power Division in Dhaka revealed that Bangladesh’s power sector incurred losses of Tk 500 billion over the past 15 years. The findings were shared by National Committee chief Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury, who stated that the previous government used the severe power crisis as a means of financial exploitation while shielding wrongdoing through an indemnity ordinance.

According to the report, the ongoing financial strain, high electricity prices, and excessive generation capacity stem from long-term institutional and contractual failures rather than short-term crises. It highlighted that power plants were built without tenders, widespread corruption and irregularities occurred, and capacity payments increased twentyfold. The report also noted misuse of emergency powers, repeated renewals of special provisions, and disregard for competition laws, which led to transaction-based electricity pricing.

The report concluded that the combination of excessive plant construction and inflated pricing has placed the power sector at significant risk, driven by irregularities in contracts and governance failures.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved 25 development projects worth Tk 45,191 crore across Bangladesh. The meeting, chaired by Chief Adviser and ECNEC Chair Dr. Muhammad Yunus, was held at the NEC conference room of the Planning Commission on Sunday. Among the approved projects, 14 are new, six are revised, and five have been granted time extensions. Of the total cost, Tk 10,881 crore will come from government funds, Tk 32,018 crore from foreign loans, and Tk 2,291 crore from the implementing agencies’ own resources.

The approved projects span communication, health, education, agriculture, water resources, power, transport, and human resource sectors. Major initiatives include widening regional highways, constructing an elevated expressway from Lalkhan Bazar to Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram, strengthening the airport runway, and expanding tourism facilities in the hill tracts. Other projects cover rural infrastructure in Cumilla, police facility construction, dual-gauge rail line expansion to Cox’s Bazar, and establishment of a 1,000-bed Bangladesh–China Friendship General Hospital.

Officials expressed optimism that these projects will enhance infrastructure capacity, generate employment, and contribute positively to national economic growth.

A powerful snowstorm has disrupted daily life across several regions of the United States, leaving more than 230,000 customers without electricity, mostly in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee, and New Mexico. Nearly 13,000 flights have been canceled as the storm continues to affect transportation and utilities. The report, citing Reuters, said the storm began Saturday and is expected to bring heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain from the southern Rocky Mountains to New England through Monday.

Former President Donald Trump approved a federal emergency disaster declaration for multiple states, including South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and West Virginia. On social media, he stated that authorities are monitoring all states in the storm’s path and maintaining communication with them.

The Department of Homeland Security reported that 17 states and Washington, D.C., have declared weather emergencies. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said thousands remain without power in southern states, and restoration work is underway as quickly as possible.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has called for an immediate end to unnecessary horn use in Bangladesh. Speaking on Sunday, January 25, 2026, at a gathering in front of Terminal 2 of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, she said the excessive horn noise near the airport embarrasses the country before foreign visitors. She urged the Civil Aviation Authority to take steps to stop horn use in the airport area.

The event marked the launch of a coordinated campaign to implement a 'silent zone' around the airport, jointly organized by the Department of Environment, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), and the Civil Aviation Authority. Rizwana Hasan noted that under the Noise Pollution (Control) Rules 2025, traffic police now have the authority to impose instant fines. She also sought media cooperation in raising awareness.

Following the discussion, executive magistrates and prosecutors from the five agencies conducted mobile courts at five designated points in the airport area, with over a hundred DMP officers present. Officials said the integrated anti-noise campaign will continue.

Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Land, Saleh Ahmed, stated that the e-return or online income tax return system represents not only technological progress but also the reflection of a modern and accountable state structure. He made the remarks on Sunday during a learning session at the ministry’s conference room for officials of grade 9 and above, focusing on electronic submission of individual taxpayers’ income tax returns. The session was conducted by AKM Moniruzzaman, Assistant Commissioner of the Income Tax Intelligence and Investigation Unit.

Saleh Ahmed emphasized that transparency and accountability are essential for building an effective and citizen-friendly administration. Making e-return submission mandatory for government officials institutionalizes these principles. He noted that automated data storage and analysis make it easier to identify inconsistencies in income and expenditure, reducing opportunities for corruption and supporting revenue growth.

He added that government officials represent the state, and ensuring transparency in their financial affairs is both a legal and moral obligation. The e-return initiative sets a positive example of administrative discipline and ethics, encouraging public trust and participation in tax compliance.