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.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has announced a temporary suspension of its Dhaka-Sylhet-Manchester route, effective from March 1, 2026. The airline cited fleet shortages, operational pressure, and economic inefficiency as the main reasons behind the decision. According to a press release issued on Thursday, the Manchester route is currently not profitable, and the long-haul flights occupy aircraft for several days, creating additional strain on fleet management.

The airline explained that during the Hajj season, it must operate extra flights to transport large numbers of passengers within a limited time, requiring adjustments to other routes. Due to high demand on Middle Eastern routes, particularly from expatriate workers and Umrah travelers, Biman decided to allocate its limited wide-body Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft to more viable destinations. Routine maintenance, engine overhauls, and a global crew shortage have further intensified operational challenges.

To ease passenger inconvenience, Biman has increased London route frequency to five flights per week and offered ticket refunds or rerouting via London without extra charges. The airline stated that new aircraft procurement and crew recruitment are underway, and the Manchester route may resume once capacity improves.

Two people were killed across Greece on Wednesday as heavy rain and strong winds swept through the country, causing widespread flooding and transport disruptions. According to Maritime Affairs Minister Vassilis Kikilias, a coastguard officer died after being struck by waves while on duty in the coastal town of Astros in eastern Peloponnese. In another incident, a woman was killed in the Athens suburb of Glyfada when her car was swept away by floodwaters. Authorities suspended ferry services and closed several roads due to the severe weather.

Wind speeds exceeded 100 kilometers per hour, prompting school closures in Athens and parts of western and southern Greece. Meteorologists reported that some areas of the capital received six weeks’ worth of rainfall in a single day. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis postponed his planned trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, due to the situation.

Experts have repeatedly warned that deadly floods in recent years have been worsened by rapid urbanization and blocked waterways, urging infrastructure improvements, particularly in the greater Athens region.

Pakistan’s state-owned Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) has announced the discovery of new oil and natural gas reserves in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. According to a notice filed with the Pakistan Stock Exchange, production has begun from the exploratory well ‘Baragzai X-01’ in Kohat district, yielding approximately 3,100 barrels of crude oil and 8.15 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. Two other wells in the same area are already producing oil and gas.

OGDCL stated that the new discovery will help narrow the gap between domestic energy demand and supply while boosting Pakistan’s hydrocarbon reserves. With the addition of the new output, the Baragzai fields are now producing about 9,480 barrels of oil daily, accounting for roughly 14.5 percent of the country’s total crude oil production. Pakistan currently produces around 66,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

The announcement comes as Pakistan intensifies efforts to expand domestic oil and gas production and reduce dependence on costly imports amid ongoing economic challenges. Last year, the government signed five exploration agreements with local and international companies for three offshore and two onshore blocks.

Bangladesh Bank has proposed a new rule limiting bank directors to a maximum of three consecutive months of leave per year, as part of the draft Bank Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2025. The proposal aims to strengthen governance after reports that many directors remained absent for extended periods while retaining their positions. The draft has been published by the Financial Institutions Division of the Ministry of Finance for stakeholder feedback, and a meeting chaired by Secretary Nazma Mobarek was recently held to discuss it.

The draft also includes a proposal to restrict individuals, families, or institutions from holding significant shares in multiple banks simultaneously. Under the proposed rule, anyone holding 2% or more of a bank’s shares cannot hold 2% or more in another bank. The Association of Bankers, Bangladesh (ABB) has opposed this shareholding restriction, arguing that general shareholders do not directly influence bank policy decisions. However, Bangladesh Bank officials maintain that the measure is necessary to prevent excessive control by business groups that have previously harmed the sector.

If enacted, the new law would automatically cancel the position of any director absent from board meetings beyond the permitted period, ensuring stricter accountability in bank governance.

A severe shortage of lighter vessels has caused a major operational crisis at Chattogram port, where more than 85 mother vessels carrying over 300,000 tons of goods are stranded at the outer anchorage. Importers are reportedly paying daily waiting charges of 12,000 to 15,000 dollars per vessel, which is expected to impact consumer prices. Business groups fear the situation could worsen ahead of Ramadan.

Officials said large ships cannot dock directly at the port due to insufficient draft, requiring goods to be unloaded onto smaller lighter vessels for inland transport. Although about 1,500 lighter vessels exist on paper, fewer than 1,000 are active. Around 40 percent of vessels are currently stuck elsewhere, many being used as floating warehouses by fertilizer importers and industrial groups. The Bangladesh Water Transport Coordination Cell (BWTCC) has been unable to meet demand for over a month, intensifying the congestion.

Port authorities have launched enforcement drives against vessels idling for more than 72 hours, while business leaders call for coordinated action among port, transport, and vessel owners to resolve the crisis and prevent further disruption to essential commodity supply.

Dhaka’s Paltan Model Police Station has returned 105 recovered mobile phones to their rightful owners after tracing them through technological means. The handover took place on Tuesday at the station’s conference room, according to Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Talebur Rahman of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Media and Public Relations Division, who shared the information on Wednesday.

Police sources said the recovery operations were conducted between December 1, 2025, and January 15, 2026, across various parts of the country. The drives were based on general diary entries filed by phone owners reporting their lost devices. Assistant Police Commissioner Hossain Muhammad Farabi of the Motijheel Zone and ASI Iqbal Hossain of Paltan Model Police Station played active roles in the recovery process.

The initiative highlights the use of technology in tracing lost property and restoring it to citizens, reflecting an ongoing effort by Dhaka Metropolitan Police to enhance public trust and service efficiency.

In Sitakunda’s Jungle Salimpur area of Chattogram, the prime accused in the murder of RAB Deputy Assistant Director Abdul Motaleb, identified as Yasin, has reappeared publicly and issued threats against law enforcement. During a self-styled press conference at his den on Wednesday afternoon, Yasin warned that no one could enter the area without providing him with a list of suspects and demanded that RAB members be tried for entering without his permission. He also blamed BNP candidate Lion Aslam Chowdhury for the RAB officer’s death.

According to the report, Yasin held the press event at his old office in Alinagar, attended by several online journalists. He accused his rival Rokon Uddin of involvement in the killing and alleged that Aslam Chowdhury was backing him. Yasin also made derogatory remarks about former Chattogram Deputy Commissioner Muminul Haque, claiming that the administration must inform him before any arrests in Jungle Salimpur.

Yasin asserted that no one could evict him from the area, warning that any administrative action without his consent would lead to consequences.

Bangladesh Bank has decided to provide a 4 percent annual profit rate to depositors of five banks currently undergoing a merger process for the years 2024 and 2025. The central bank communicated this decision to the administrators of the five banks through an official letter issued on Wednesday. This move replaces an earlier decision to suspend profit payments for the same period, which had sparked strong dissatisfaction among depositors.

According to a directive from the Bank Regulation Department, the earlier suspension of profit on fixed-term deposits under the Islamic Bank Company formation and expansion regulations has been reconsidered. The revision came following appeals from depositors and to maintain normal banking operations. Under the new decision, the 4 percent profit rate will apply to personal (non-institutional) deposits from January 1, 2024, to December 28, 2025.

Banks have been instructed to recalculate deposit balances as of the last working day of 2025 and submit revised statements to the central bank within three working days. If any depositor has already received a higher profit, the excess will be adjusted against future earnings, while previous instructions remain valid for deposits not covered by the new decision.

Police in Ramu upazila of Cox’s Bazar arrested two suspected robbers early Wednesday night while they were allegedly preparing for a robbery. The operation took place around 3 a.m. on January 21 in the Lamapara area of Kawarkhop Union’s Ward No. 7. Law enforcement recovered a large cache of sharp weapons and tools from the scene. The arrests were confirmed by Cox’s Bazar District Police spokesperson and Additional Superintendent of Police Alok Biswas later that evening.

According to police, a team from Ramu Police Station acted on a tip-off that 10 to 15 robbers had gathered near the mosque pond area west of the chairman’s house in Kawarkhop Union to plan a robbery. When police arrived, the suspects attempted to flee, but two individuals—Mehedi Hasan, 20, and Jasim Uddin, 22—were detained. Both are residents of Lot Ukhia’s Ghona area in Kawarkhop Union.

Police said a variety of weapons, including machetes, knives, iron hammers, Chinese axes, lock cutters, pliers, and chain-linked iron tools, were recovered. Legal action has been initiated against the two detainees.

U.S. President Donald Trump said that tariffs imposed by his administration were targeted only at countries with which the United States has trade deficits. Speaking at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump described the decision as fair and claimed that most people understand the reasoning behind it. He acknowledged that some have been negatively affected but maintained that the overall policy was justified.

Trump also stated that in some cases, tariff rates had been reduced. He cited Switzerland as an example, noting that an initial 30 percent tariff was later lowered because he did not want to cause harm to people. During his remarks, Trump further asserted that the United States is sustaining the entire world.

The comments, reported by the BBC, reflect Trump’s continued defense of his trade policies on the global stage, emphasizing fairness and national interest as key motivations behind the tariff measures.

Five police officers have been withdrawn and transferred to Hatiya upazila after two Awami League leaders, both under trial, hosted a family feast inside the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court lockup in Noakhali. The incident occurred on January 19, when the detainees’ families gathered in the women’s lockup area during a court appearance. The event, locally known as a ‘beyakhana,’ was arranged with the cooperation of on-duty police personnel.

Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration and Finance) Abu Tayeb Md Arif Hossain confirmed the withdrawal on Wednesday night, citing the need for an impartial investigation. The withdrawn officers include two assistant town sub-inspectors and three constables. Following the order of Superintendent of Police T.M. Mosharraf Hossain, a three-member inquiry committee was formed to submit its report by January 26.

The two detained leaders—Azam Pasha Chowdhury Rumel of Companiganj Upazila Jubo League and Advocate Saif Uddin Ahmed of Hatiya Awami League—are accused in multiple murder and explosives cases. The incident has drawn widespread attention across the country.