A Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officer was killed and two others were seriously injured during a violent mob attack in Sitakunda’s Jungle Salimpur area, about 12 kilometers from Chattogram city, on January 19. The incident occurred when a 16-member RAB-7 team conducted an operation targeting suspected armed groups. Deputy Assistant Director Abdul Motaleb, 45, was beaten to death after being captured, while two other RAB members and a source sustained severe injuries. Videos obtained by the newspaper show Motaleb being brutally assaulted by multiple attackers inside a room.

According to RAB officials, the operation had been planned for two months amid reports of growing influence of armed groups in the area. The violence erupted after RAB members arrested two suspects, including a man named Yasin, during a gathering of over 150 people. The crowd quickly turned hostile, and more than 300 attackers joined the assault. Police later rescued four RAB members from Nizampur, three kilometers away, all bearing signs of severe physical assault but no gunshot wounds.

Authorities confirmed that the area has long been under the control of rival armed groups, and the attack has intensified concerns over law enforcement safety in the region.

Authorities in Kapasia upazila of Gazipur recovered 11 live horses and meat from eight slaughtered horses from the home of Jahangir Alam, identified by locals as the organizational secretary of the upazila Jubo League. The operation took place late Friday night in Mask village under Durgapur Union after residents noticed suspicious activity and gathered at the scene. Those allegedly involved in the slaughter fled before locals arrived.

As tensions rose, residents vandalized a pickup truck and set a covered van on fire before police intervened to restore order. Locals alleged that Jahangir Alam had long been involved in illegal horse meat trading under the guise of a cattle farm. Following the fall of the previous government, he reportedly returned to the area under local political protection.

Assistant Commissioner (Local Government and Treasury) and Executive Magistrate Md. Faisal confirmed that the slaughtered horse meat was found buried, while the live horses were placed under the custody of the Durgapur Union Parishad chairman. The seized vehicles were handed over to police custody.

Police in Lakshmipur recovered the body of Fazle Rabbi, a 21-year-old college student, eight days after he went missing. The body, with hands and feet tied, was found on Saturday, January 24, in a toilet tank of an unoccupied house in Chandraprabhabagh village under Uttar Joypur Union. District Detective Police detained a man named Sahed from Dhaka in connection with the incident. Rabbi, son of Bellal Hossain from Purba Aladadpur village in Hajirpara Union, was a student at Chandraganj Kofil Uddin Degree College.

According to police and locals, Rabbi was last seen on the night of January 16 when he went to Choupalli Bazar in Uttar Joypur Union from Chandraganj. His father filed a missing diary the next day at Chandraganj Police Station. Locals later noticed a foul smell from the tank and discovered the body. Police recovered the body and sent it to the district hospital morgue for autopsy. Authorities said Rabbi’s motorcycle was also recovered and preparations for a case are underway.

The government pay commission of Bangladesh has proposed a new pay scale that would more than double the salaries of primary school teachers. According to the recommendation, teachers in the 13th grade would see their basic pay rise from 11,000 taka to 24,000 taka. The proposed scale sets the minimum salary for government employees at 20,000 taka and the maximum at 160,000 taka, with higher increases suggested for employees in grades 11 to 20. The commission also advised raising allowances, including tiffin benefits.

Commission chief Zakir Ahmed Khan told the media that implementing the proposal would require 1.06 trillion taka. The 23-member commission, formed on July 27 of the previous year, completed its work ahead of schedule, spending only 18 percent of its allocated budget. The report is due on February 14, and a special committee will be formed to oversee implementation.

Economic adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed said the next step is to execute the recommendations, with an implementation committee to be established to manage the process.

A devastating fire broke out on Saturday morning, January 24, 2026, on Circular Road in Gaibandha town, destroying the Bandhan Printing Press along with five nearby shops and business establishments. The blaze, which started suddenly at the printing press near Taj Cinema Hall, quickly spread to adjacent stores including Aditya Store, Niyat Varieties, Choton’s shop, and Ratan Salon. Preliminary estimates suggest that assets worth several crores of taka were reduced to ashes.

According to eyewitnesses, the fire spread rapidly, causing panic across the area. A team from the Gaibandha Fire Service arrived promptly and managed to bring the flames under control after intense efforts. However, by that time, all goods, equipment, and furniture inside the affected establishments had been completely destroyed.

The Gaibandha Fire Service stated that while the fire was contained, the exact cause of the blaze remains unknown. An investigation is underway to determine the source and assess the full extent of the damage.

Police recovered the hanging body of Shahanoor Rahman, a 44-year-old officer of Sonali Bank’s Motijheel branch, from his apartment in Khilgaon, Dhaka, on Saturday, January 24, 2026. Sub-Inspector Suman Debnath of Khilgaon Police Station confirmed that the body was found around 5:30 p.m. at the victim’s third-floor flat at 429/C, Khilgaon. After completing legal procedures, the body was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue at about 8:30 p.m.

According to police citing family members, Shahanoor had been suffering from mental depression and allegedly took his own life by hanging. His younger brother, Mostafizur Rahman, said Shahanoor had divorced his wife two months earlier and was under stress due to personal bank loans. On Saturday afternoon, he reportedly locked himself in his room and was later found hanging from a ceiling fan. Police were informed and recovered the body for autopsy.

Authorities stated that the exact cause of death will be confirmed after receiving the post-mortem report.

In Saghata upazila of Gaibandha, several illegal brick kilns have been established in violation of national regulations, severely affecting the lives of residents in five nearby villages. Two unlicensed kilns, MSB Bricks and TAB Bricks, operate side by side in the Kathaltali area, producing thick black smoke that damages farmland, roads, and the local environment. Residents report that around 30 tractors and power trolleys transport topsoil from fertile fields to the kilns, causing road collapse and soil degradation.

Farmers and villagers from Satitola, Kathaltali, Baraikandi, Nashirarpra, and Gargaria complain of declining crop yields, damaged roads, and worsening air quality. The kilns operate within densely populated and agricultural zones, despite the 1989 Brick Burning Control Act (amended 2013) prohibiting such activity within one kilometer of farmland or residential areas. None of the kilns have environmental clearance.

Local agricultural officials confirm that crop yields, including Boro rice, are decreasing due to the kilns’ pollution. The Saghata Upazila Executive Officer stated that legal action will be taken once formal requisition is received from the Department of Environment.

Police in Dhamrai, Dhaka, have arrested four men after a robbery case was filed by Abdur Razzak, the alleged husband of the victim in a previously reported gang-rape and robbery incident. The case was lodged after investigators found no evidence supporting the rape allegation. The arrests were made in Ramraban village of Balia Union, and the suspects were identified as Jios Chandra Moni Das, Shree Charan Moni Das, Shuvon Chandra Moni Das, and Dipu Chandra Moni Das. Police recovered a total of 8,630 taka from them during the operation.

According to Dhamrai Police Station Officer-in-Charge Nazmul Huda Khan, the case was accepted as a robbery complaint (Case No. 41) and the suspects will be presented to court for remand. One of the accused, Shree Charan Moni Das, also faces a prior drug case. The incident reportedly occurred on the night of January 13 at the home of Shanti Moni Das in Ramraban village.

Local sources said the woman involved has gone into hiding due to social stigma, and uncertainty remains over whether she is indeed Razzak’s wife or the nature of the alleged assault.

Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) reported that recent heavy snowfall and rain have killed 61 people across multiple provinces. According to a report by Tolo News, 110 others were injured and 458 houses were damaged or destroyed. The affected provinces include Kabul, Parwan, Panjshir, Bamiyan, Daikundi, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Herat, Ghor, Badghis, Faryab, Sar-e Pol, Balkh, Samangan, and Nuristan.

Residents in several areas said that blocked roads and severe weather have made it difficult to reach hospitals and emergency services. They appealed to the government for urgent assistance. Locals described worsening conditions due to extreme cold and unemployment, with many lacking warm clothing and basic supplies.

Experts warned that Afghanistan needs long-term planning, stronger infrastructure resilience, and improved early warning systems to better handle such disasters, which threaten thousands of lives each winter.

Hasan Molla, general secretary of the Hazratpur Union unit of the BNP, died on Saturday, January 24, 2026, while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He had been critically injured in a gun attack by unidentified assailants on the night of January 22 in the Jagannathpur area of Keraniganj’s Hazratpur Union. According to his brother-in-law Nazim Uddin, who is also vice president of the Keraniganj Model Thana BNP, Molla succumbed to his injuries around 4 p.m.

Local residents said that on the night of the attack, unknown gunmen arrived on motorcycles and fired three to four rounds in front of the BNP office in Ward 5 before fleeing. The attackers had covered their faces with cloths, preventing identification. Molla was rescued in a bloodied state and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where his condition worsened, leading to his transfer to the ICU.

Additional Superintendent of Police Jahangir Alam stated that Molla’s family had not yet filed a case, and further action would follow once a complaint is lodged.

Three suspects have been arrested by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-11 in connection with the killing of college student Ashraful Islam in Raipur, Lakshmipur. The arrests were made late Friday night in Bhulta Gausia area of Rupganj, Narayanganj, and announced on Saturday by RAB-11 Noakhali Camp Commander Md. Muhit Kabir Serniabat. The detainees are Shakil Bepari, 23, Sohag Bepari, 19, and Moktar Patwari, 20, all residents of Charbanshi village under North Charbanshi Union in Raipur.

According to RAB, Ashraful, a final-year degree student at Raipur Rustam Ali College, was attacked on January 14 by local drug users and teenage gang members led by Nahid Bepari and Shahin Bepari. He was severely injured and later died while undergoing treatment in Dhaka. His father, Azizul Haque, filed a murder case on January 16 naming 11 accused and 16 unidentified persons. The attack reportedly stemmed from Shahin’s suspicion that Ashraful had informed police about his earlier drug arrest.

RAB stated that the arrested suspects have been handed over to Raipur police, and operations are continuing to capture others involved in the killing.

Indian actor and social media personality Kamal R Khan, known as KRK, was arrested by Mumbai Police on the night of January 23. The arrest followed his January 22 post on X (formerly Twitter) where he commented on Bangladesh’s reported refusal to play in the T20 World Cup in India. Police stated that the arrest was linked to a shooting allegation, but many social media users claimed he was targeted for criticizing India’s attitude toward Bangladesh and Pakistan.

The controversy arose after reports that Bangladesh’s government expressed reluctance to send its team to India for the tournament due to security and political concerns. The International Cricket Council has not yet announced any change in venue. KRK’s detention has reignited debate over the intersection of cricket and politics in India and the limits of free expression.

KRK, born in Deoband, Uttar Pradesh, began his career in the early 2000s as a screenwriter before acting in films such as “Deshdrohi” and appearing in the reality show “Bigg Boss.” He currently runs a YouTube channel and works as a film critic.

The Bangladesh Navy conducted a special operation early Saturday, January 24, 2026, in the Naytongpara area of Teknaf municipality, Cox’s Bazar, recovering crystal methamphetamine (‘ice’) valued at Tk 6 crore, along with firearms and ammunition. Two individuals, identified as Junaid alias Munna and his Rohingya associate Hamid Ullah, were arrested on charges of involvement in drug trafficking. The Navy’s media cell confirmed the operation later that day.

According to a Navy statement, the raid was part of ongoing security and anti-crime operations ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. Acting on a tip-off, a specialized naval team searched the suspects’ homes, seizing 1,250 grams of crystal meth, 126 yaba tablets, one single-barrel gun, two walkie-talkies, eight local weapons, and 47 rounds of live ammunition. The detainees reportedly admitted that the items were stored for sale through Rohingya intermediaries.

Following the operation, the seized drugs and weapons, along with the arrested suspects, were handed over to Teknaf Police Station for legal action. The Navy continues intensified patrols in coastal and border areas to ensure election-time security.

Police in Chattogram uncovered a gruesome murder after two severed human hands were found in a black plastic bag near Shahidnagar, Bayezid Bostami area, early on January 21. Officers from Bayezid Bostami Police Station arrived at the scene and sent the hands to Chattogram Medical College Hospital. Fingerprint analysis through the national ID database identified the victim as Md. Anis, 38, from Rauzan’s Chikdair union, who had been missing since January 20.

Following the identification, investigators traced the case to Sufia Akter, 39, who had a long-standing relationship and recent disputes with Anis. She was arrested from Pathanpara in the early hours of January 22. During interrogation, Sufia confessed to killing Anis at her home on January 20 and dismembering the body with the help of accomplices. The body parts were packed in black plastic bags and dumped across different locations.

Police later recovered the remaining body parts based on Sufia’s information. Officials confirmed the killing was premeditated and solved swiftly using technology and field operations.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch (DB) has stated that former Volunteer Party leader Md. Azizur Rahman Musabbir was murdered in a planned attack linked to control over extortion in the capital’s Karwan Bazar area. At a press briefing on January 24, DB Additional Commissioner Md. Shafiqul Islam said the killing was carried out by hired shooters under the direction of underworld figure Binash Dada, also known as Dilip, who is currently abroad. Two shooters, Jinnat and Rahim, were directly involved, with Rahim recently arrested in Narsingdi’s Madhabdi area. Weapons used in the killing were recovered, and Rahim faces a separate arms case.

DB reported that CCTV footage and other technical evidence confirmed the shooters’ involvement. Musabbir, a former general secretary of the BNP-affiliated Volunteer Party’s Dhaka North unit, was shot dead on January 7 in Tejgaon. His wife filed a murder case naming unidentified suspects. With Rahim’s arrest, five suspects have now been detained, and Jinnat has given a confessional statement under Section 164.

DB said operations to recover illegal firearms and curb extortion are being intensified ahead of the upcoming national election.