Afghan business representatives and leading Bangladeshi pharmaceutical manufacturers have reached a direct agreement to import medicines from Bangladesh to Afghanistan. The understanding was finalized during a visit to Dhaka by a delegation led by Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Commerce and Industry, Maulvi Ahmadullah Zahid. According to a statement from the Afghan ministry, the delegation visited two major Bangladeshi drug producers, Beximco Pharmaceuticals Limited and Renata PLC.

The statement described these companies as among Bangladesh’s top pharmaceutical exporters, currently supplying medicines to around 50 countries. During the visit, Deputy Minister Zahid invited Bangladeshi investors to establish pharmaceutical production facilities in Afghanistan, asserting that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan fully supports industrial and manufacturing sectors and ensures all necessary facilities for investment.

Additionally, Dr. Naimullah Ayubi, Director General of the Department of Medicine and Health Product Regulation under Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health, said Bangladeshi manufacturers would receive full cooperation under existing policies. The agreement marks a step toward strengthening bilateral trade in pharmaceuticals between the two countries.

A press conference was held in Chapainawabganj demanding the arrest of Abdul Bashed Bacchu, managing director of Joyita Consumer Co-operative Society Limited, who allegedly fled after embezzling Tk 5 crore from around 200 customers. The event took place on Thursday afternoon at an office in the district town, organized by affected families seeking justice and the return of their money.

Executive member Abdullah Al Masum read a written statement, claiming Bacchu had long collected deposits from locals while running the NGO. After the death of Masum’s sister in 2022, Bacchu allegedly absconded with all the funds, halting the organization’s operations. Masum stated that his family had no involvement in financial transactions despite being listed on the executive committee.

Masum further alleged that several officials of the NGO secretly withdrew customer funds and filed 12 false cases against his family. The victims urged authorities to arrest Bacchu, recover the embezzled money, and conduct a fair investigation to ensure that innocent people are not harassed.

Israeli media reported that the country’s once-profitable agricultural export industry is facing a severe crisis as international opposition to Israel’s ongoing military actions in Gaza begins to affect trade. Orders for Israeli lemons and mangoes from Europe and Asia have nearly stopped, leaving farmers fearing a total collapse of this key economic sector. Some farmers, including orchard managers and former military officials, said they are operating at a loss since the war began.

According to reports from Kan 11 and Middle East Monitor, many farmers acknowledge that the main reason for the export decline is global outrage over Israel’s actions in Gaza, despite citing supply disruptions and Red Sea blockades. Some farmers have refused to sell produce to Gaza’s Palestinian market, even at the cost of heavy financial losses, citing ideological opposition to Hamas. The Citrus Growers Organization confirmed that no containers have been exported since the war started.

The crisis has left hundreds of tons of fruit rotting in northern Israel and forced producers to rely on local markets. Analysts noted that this agricultural decline reflects a broader economic downturn, with Israel’s overall economic activity dropping 26 percent in late 2023.

A Dhaka court has granted a six-day remand for Md. Rubel Ahmed, a close associate of Faisal Karim Masud, the prime accused in the murder of Inqilab Moncho spokesperson Shahid Sharif Osman Hadi. The order was issued on Thursday, January 22, 2026, by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam. Rubel was arrested from his residence in Keraniganj the previous night. The Criminal Investigation Department’s Assistant Superintendent of Police Abdul Kadir Bhuiyan had sought a ten-day remand, while Assistant Public Prosecutor Jamal Uddin Margin supported the request. No defense lawyer was present during the hearing.

Hadi was shot on December 12 in Dhaka’s Paltan area while traveling after Friday prayers and later died on December 18 in Singapore while undergoing treatment. The case, initially filed as an attempted murder, was later converted into a murder case. On January 6, police submitted a charge sheet naming 17 accused, including former ward councilor Taizul Islam Chowdhury Bappi and Faisal Karim Masud.

Following dissatisfaction with the charge sheet, Inqilab Moncho’s member secretary Abdullah Al Jaber filed a petition for further investigation, which the court approved, directing the CID to submit a new report by January 25.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 has granted the prosecution an additional two weeks to submit the investigation report against former Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque and six others in a case over the killing of nine youths in Mirpur’s Jahazbari, Dhaka. The tribunal set February 3 as the new date for filing the report. The order was issued by Justice Md Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury’s single bench following a hearing on Thursday, where prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim sought more time citing progress in the investigation.

The case involves allegations that a staged militant operation at Jahazbari led to the deaths of nine young men, an incident now being treated as a crime against humanity. On the same day, former IGP Shahidul Haque and three other former police officials, including ex-DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia and former Mirpur Division Deputy Commissioner Jasim Uddin Molla, were produced before the tribunal.

The tribunal’s decision allows the prosecution additional time to complete its investigation before submitting the formal report for further legal proceedings.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 has ordered the start of the trial against two top leaders of the banned organization Chhatra League, President Saddam Hossain and General Secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan, on charges of crimes against humanity committed during the July Revolution. The three-member panel, led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, rejected the defendants’ plea for discharge and formally framed charges against them. The tribunal also ordered trials for five other accused, including former Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader and several senior political figures.

Prosecutors Mizanul Islam and Gazi M.H. Tamim argued on January 18 that the accused bore individual responsibility for inciting and directing killings of protesters during July and August. Defense lawyers Lokman Hawlader and Ishrat Jahan denied any involvement, citing lack of evidence and seeking acquittal. The tribunal set January 22 for the order after hearing both sides.

The accused failed to appear on January 8 despite being ordered to surrender. Authorities later appointed state defense lawyers and issued public notices after unsuccessful arrest attempts in late December.

A massive winter storm named 'Winter Storm Fern' is forecast to strike large parts of the United States this week, potentially affecting around 170 million people with heavy snowfall, power outages, and travel disruptions. The storm is expected to stretch from Texas through the Mid-Atlantic to the northeastern states, bringing freezing air that could push temperatures far below zero in several regions.

Cities including Memphis, Nashville, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York may be blanketed in snow, with some areas possibly experiencing temperatures as low as 40 degrees Celsius below freezing. The Rocky Mountain states are expected to see significant snowfall by Friday, with meteorologists predicting accumulations exceeding 12 inches in some locations. Virginia and Maryland are projected to be among the hardest-hit states.

Emergency declarations have already been issued in several states, including Texas, North Carolina, and South Carolina, as authorities prepare for the storm’s severe impact.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) suspended the restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Japan’s Niigata Prefecture just hours after operations began late Wednesday. The company confirmed Thursday that the reactor remains stable and poses no radioactive risk. The restart followed final approval from Japan’s nuclear regulator, marking the first TEPCO-operated plant to resume since the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

TEPCO spokesperson Takashi Kobayashi said an alarm in the monitoring system triggered the precautionary shutdown, and the cause is under investigation. Earlier in the week, the restart had already been delayed due to a technical fault that TEPCO claims has since been resolved. Only one of the plant’s seven reactors was being restarted.

Local opposition remains strong, with about 60 percent of Niigata residents reportedly against the restart. Seven civic groups recently submitted a petition with around 40,000 signatures to TEPCO and regulators, citing earthquake risks and past damage to the facility. Japan is seeking to reduce energy imports and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 through renewed use of nuclear power.

A large-scale forest destruction is reportedly taking place in the Inani Range of Ukhia under the Cox’s Bazar South Forest Division. Local sources allege that forest officials, in collaboration with a land-grabbing syndicate, are involved in illegal hill cutting, tree felling, and forest land sales. The syndicate, allegedly led by Range Officer Firoz Al-Amin, has been active for three years, while higher authorities remain silent despite being aware of the situation.

Reports indicate that in areas such as Monkhali, Rajapalong, Jaliapalong, and Choyankhali, trees are being cut and sold, hills leveled, and new houses built on forest land. At least four workers have died during hill cutting, and two elephants have been killed due to deforestation. Locals claim that officials are profiting from illegal land sales and construction, while some officers remain inactive despite witnessing irregularities.

Range Officer Firoz Al-Amin denied direct involvement, stating that minor irregularities occurred alongside development work. The divisional forest officer Abdullah Al-Mamun said an investigation would be launched, and action taken if evidence of involvement is found.

After almost two decades, the Aatharbaria Government Primary School in Jaraitala Union of Nikli upazila, Kishoreganj, has regained a proper learning environment. On Wednesday, a joint force conducted a special operation to remove a cattle market that had been occupying the school grounds, depriving students of regular classes.

According to local sources, for the past 17 years, a weekly cattle market had been held every Wednesday on the school playground. The noise, unhygienic conditions, and presence of outsiders disrupted the school’s activities, forcing students to stay away and limiting lessons to a nominal level. During the operation, traders were removed, and strict instructions were issued to prevent future markets on the premises.

Following the eviction, Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Nikli upazila, Protique Dutta, stated that two individuals, Anwar Uddin and P. Abdul Majid, were caught on the spot and fined Tk 500,000 for organizing the market. The main leaseholder, Jamshed Ali, was not found, and legal action will be taken against him. Teachers, students, and parents expressed joy at the restoration of the school environment.

Three people were killed in a shooting in the western region of New South Wales, Australia, on Thursday afternoon. Police said the incident occurred in the town of Lake Cargelligo, where emergency services responded to reports of gunfire around 4:40 p.m. on Walker Street near Yelkin Street. Officers from the Central West Police District arrived at the scene and confirmed the deaths of two women and one man. Another man was seriously injured and taken to hospital, where his condition was reported as stable.

Following the incident, police cordoned off the area and declared it a crime scene. Authorities have begun an investigation to determine the cause and circumstances of the shooting. For safety reasons, police urged the public to avoid the area and advised local residents to remain indoors.

Police stated that further information would be released as the investigation progresses.

Electricity generation at the first unit of the Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant in Parbatipur, Dinajpur resumed at 9:03 p.m. on Wednesday after a three-day shutdown. The plant’s chief engineer, Md. Abu Bakkar Siddique, confirmed that production had been halted on January 18 at 11:15 a.m. due to a boiler tube rupture. Following repairs, firing began at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, and the unit returned to production later that night.

According to plant sources, Barapukuria has three units: the first and second units each have a capacity of 125 megawatts, while the third unit has a capacity of 275 megawatts. The second unit has remained closed since November 2020 due to mechanical issues, and the third unit has been offline since October 16 of last year. The first unit has faced repeated shutdowns in recent months, including four stoppages in the past two months.

The chief engineer stated that the first unit will now produce an average of 50 to 60 megawatts daily, requiring 700 to 800 metric tons of coal per day. Repair work on the 275-megawatt third unit is ongoing and is expected to be completed by mid-March if conditions remain stable.

Three people were killed when a passenger bus collided with a container truck in Nandyal district of Andhra Pradesh early Wednesday at around 1:30 a.m. The collision caused both vehicles to catch fire, resulting in the deaths of the bus driver, truck driver, and truck cleaner. The bus was traveling from Nellore in Andhra Pradesh to Hyderabad in Telangana when its right-side tire suddenly burst, causing the driver to lose control and crash over the road divider into the oncoming truck carrying motorcycles.

The fire spread quickly, creating panic among passengers. Local residents, along with the bus conductor and cleaner, broke windows to rescue trapped passengers. Many passengers escaped by jumping through the windows. Fire service and police teams arrived at the scene and managed to extinguish the blaze after extensive efforts, but both vehicles were completely burned.

All 36 passengers on the bus survived the accident, according to the report.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 has ordered the commencement of trial against suspended Awami League General Secretary and former Bridge Minister Obaidul Quader along with six other accused in a case over alleged crimes against humanity committed during the July uprising. The three-member panel, led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, rejected the defendants’ discharge petitions and set February 17 for opening statements and the first witness testimony.

Prosecutors Mizanul Islam and Gazi M.H. Tamim argued on January 18 that the accused bore individual responsibility, reading out three charges against Quader and alleging that all seven had incited and directed killings of protesters between July and August. Defense lawyers Lokman Hawlader and Ishrat Jahan denied any involvement of their clients and sought dismissal of the charges for lack of evidence. The tribunal fixed January 22 for its ruling after hearing both sides.

The other accused, including senior Awami League and affiliated organization leaders, remain absconding. The tribunal appointed state defense lawyers for them after they failed to surrender on January 8 despite arrest warrants issued earlier.

A case has been filed naming top criminal Md. Yasin as the prime accused along with 28 others, and 150 to 200 unidentified individuals, in connection with the killing of RAB-7 Deputy Director Abdul Motaleb in Sitakunda’s Jungle Salimpur area of Chattogram. The case was lodged on Thursday morning by a RAB-7 officer at Sitakunda Police Station, confirmed by Officer-in-Charge Mohinul Islam.

According to police sources, the case accuses the suspects of murdering the RAB officer during a raid on Monday afternoon, when Motaleb was killed in an attack by armed criminals. Two other RAB members were injured and remain hospitalized. The filing came on the fourth day after the incident.

Police reported that three individuals have been arrested in connection with the case. The investigation is ongoing to identify and apprehend the remaining suspects involved in the deadly assault.