Farmers in Nilphamari district are reporting a bumper yield of early varieties of mustard during the 2025–2026 fiscal year. Harvesting is in full swing as growers take advantage of favorable weather, improved seeds, and government incentives. The Department of Agricultural Extension set a target of 9,023 hectares for mustard cultivation, but actual cultivation exceeded 11,000 hectares. Many farmers, previously affected by potato losses, have turned to mustard due to lower costs and higher profits.

Local farmers, including women entrepreneurs, said they achieved strong yields from early mustard varieties such as BARI-09, 14, 15, 18, and Tori-07. They noted that mustard requires less irrigation and labor, and its byproducts serve household fuel and cooking oil needs. The district’s deputy director of agriculture confirmed that quality seeds were distributed under government incentive programs, helping farmers achieve high productivity.

The success of early mustard cultivation has encouraged more farmers to adopt the crop, potentially expanding its acreage further in coming seasons if favorable conditions continue.

Police recovered the body of a fugitive top criminal from inside a sawmill in Morjal Union of Raipura upazila, Narsingdi, on Tuesday morning. The deceased was identified as Opu Ahmed, 45, son of Habibur Rahman from Pahar Morjal area. Opu had escaped from Narsingdi jail during the July Movement incident and had been on the run since then, though locals said he continued to visit the area regularly.

According to local sources, unidentified assailants hacked him to death sometime late Monday night. On Tuesday morning, residents discovered the bloodied body inside the sawmill and identified it as Opu’s. Police from Raipura station arrived at the scene after being informed and recovered the body.

Sub-inspector Nazmul Islam of Raipura Police Station stated that a preliminary report had been prepared and that Opu was facing eight to nine cases, including charges related to weapons, drugs, and murder. The investigation is ongoing, and legal procedures are in progress.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 in Dhaka has postponed the verdict in the Chan Kharpul six-murder case to January 26, 2026. The case concerns the killing of Shahriar Khan Anas and five others during the July Revolution of 2024. The three-member tribunal, led by Chairman Golam Mortuza Mojumdar, delayed the ruling as the judgment was not yet ready. The verdict was initially scheduled after both prosecution and defense completed their arguments on December 24, 2025.

According to the prosecution, 26 witnesses and extensive documentary, audio, video, and forensic evidence were presented, including recordings and police communication data. Prosecutor Gazi Tamim stated that the evidence proved the charges beyond doubt and sought maximum punishment and confiscation of fugitives’ assets for victim compensation. Eight former police officials are accused, four of whom are in custody while the rest remain fugitives.

This will be the second verdict related to crimes against humanity committed during the July Revolution, following the tribunal’s first ruling in November 2025 against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her associates.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch has arrested Evaly Chairman Shamima Nasrin and Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Rassel. The arrest took place just after midnight on Tuesday, January 20, in the Dhanmondi area of the capital. The information was confirmed by Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Talebur Rahman of the DMP’s Media and Public Relations Division.

According to reports, more than two hundred arrest warrants have been issued against Shamima Nasrin and Mohammad Rassel in cases filed with Dhanmondi, Kafrul, and Savar police stations. Over one hundred of these warrants are from Dhanmondi Police Station alone. The arrests are linked to these pending cases.

Previously, both were arrested on September 16, 2021, from their Mohammadpur residence in connection with allegations of fraud and embezzlement. Shamima Nasrin was released on bail in April 2022, and Mohammad Rassel in December of the same year.

The trial of Border Guard Bangladesh officer Lieutenant Colonel Redwanul Islam and three others begins today at the International Crimes Tribunal-1 in Dhaka. The case concerns the killing of 28 people in the Rampura area during the July uprising. The three-member tribunal, chaired by Justice Golam Mortuza Mojumdar, will open proceedings with introductory statements. The other members of the panel are Justice Shafiul Alam Mahmud and retired district judge Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury.

On December 24, the tribunal rejected discharge petitions and formally framed charges against the four accused, setting January 20 for the trial’s start. Redwanul and former BGB officer Major Rafat Bin Alam are in custody, while former DMP ADC Rashedul Islam and former Rampura OC Mashiur Rahman remain absconding. Earlier hearings were delayed, and the prosecution submitted formal charges following investigations that identified the accused as participants in the Rampura killings.

The tribunal had previously ordered newspaper notices for the absconding defendants. The case stems from widespread violence during the July–August student and public protests, in which 28 people were killed and many injured in Rampura.

The parents of martyr Shahriar Khan Anas appeared at the International Crimes Tribunal on Tuesday morning to hear the verdict in a case concerning crimes against humanity. The case involves the killing of six people in Dhaka’s Chankharpul area during the July Movement. They arrived at the tribunal at 10:50 a.m. to attend the session.

According to the report, Anas’s father, Shahriar Khan Palash, and mother, Sanjida Khan Deepti, had previously given testimony against eight accused individuals in the case. The tribunal is set to deliver its verdict on January 26. The case is one of several related to incidents of violence and killings during the July Movement.

The tribunal proceedings mark a significant step toward concluding the long-running case, which has drawn attention due to its connection with the July Movement killings in the capital.

A devastating fire broke out early Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at the Shafiullah Kata Rohingya camp in Ukhia, Cox’s Bazar, destroying more than 300 makeshift shelters. The blaze began around 3 a.m. in a BRAC-run learning center at Block D-4 of Camp 16 and quickly spread to nearby sheds and huts. Thousands of Rohingya refugees have been left homeless, though no casualties were reported.

Multiple fire service units from Ukhia and Teknaf responded promptly and managed to bring the fire under control after about three hours. The cause of the fire remains unknown, and the extent of damage has yet to be fully assessed, according to Ukhia Fire Station Master Dollar Tripura. Law enforcement personnel from the 8 APBn coordinated rescue and security operations, relocating affected residents to safer areas and deploying additional police forces.

The report notes that fires have occurred previously in Rohingya camps, including incidents in December of the previous year that damaged a hospital and several shelters, highlighting ongoing vulnerability in the densely populated settlements.

Four accused, including former Shahbagh police inspector Arshad Hossain, were produced before International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Tuesday morning in connection with the July Revolution killings at Dhaka’s Chankharpul area. The case involves the murder of Shahriar Khan Anas and five others, allegedly through indiscriminate police firing. The three-member tribunal, led by Chairman Golam Mortuza Mojumdar, is set to deliver its verdict after eight months of formal proceedings.

According to the prosecution, the state presented testimony from 26 witnesses and extensive documentary, audio, video, and forensic evidence, including recorded conversations, wireless messages, and weapon issuance records. Prosecutor Gazi Tamim stated that the evidence conclusively proved the charges and sought maximum punishment, confiscation of fugitives’ properties, and compensation for victims’ families.

The case names eight police officials, four of whom are in custody while the others remain fugitives. This will be the second verdict related to crimes against humanity committed during the 2024 July Revolution, following the tribunal’s earlier ruling against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her associates.

A Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officer was killed and three others injured during an anti-crime operation in Sitakunda’s Salimpur area of Chattogram on Monday afternoon. The attack occurred when a 16-member RAB-7 team raided an office after receiving information that a suspect was hiding there. Armed assailants surrounded the team, seized the weapon of Naib Subedar Abdul Metaleb, shot him in the leg, and beat him severely. He died before reaching the hospital.

The same area had been the site of a major army operation on August 30, 2025, when a local arms factory was discovered and four suspects were detained. Locals say the region has long been plagued by conflicts over hill occupation, extortion, and illegal construction, with repeated attacks on law enforcement.

RAB-7 officials said the situation was not suitable for controlled fire during the ambush. Additional forces have now taken control of the area, and operations are underway to identify those involved.

Severe wildfires have continued for a third consecutive day in southern Chile, fueled by high temperatures and strong winds. Officials reported at least 20 deaths and widespread destruction across several towns. The fires began Saturday in the Ñuble and Biobío regions, about 500 kilometers south of Santiago, and quickly spread over an area comparable to the size of Detroit in the United States, destroying or severely damaging around 1,000 homes.

President Gabriel Boric said Monday that while some areas were under control, conditions remained “very active and dangerous” in others, with new fires emerging in nearby Araucanía. Both Ñuble and Biobío have been declared disaster zones, and the military has been deployed to assist. More than 3,500 firefighters were working to contain the blazes as temperatures dropped to around 25 degrees Celsius but the situation remained critical.

Experts cited climate change as a key factor behind the increasing frequency of extreme wildfires in central and southern Chile during the dry summer months. Past fire seasons in 2016–17, 2022–23, and February 2024 also caused severe destruction and loss of life.

Across Bangladesh, fertile topsoil from agricultural land is being sold and used in brick kilns, severely reducing arable land and threatening crop production. Despite repeated government crackdowns, the illegal trade continues in districts including Chandpur, Moulvibazar, Cumilla, and Lakshmipur. Officials report that much of the soil is taken from farmlands and riverbanks, leaving deep pits that later turn into water bodies.

In Faridganj of Chandpur, around 30 brick kilns, mostly illegal, are reportedly using topsoil from croplands. In Kamalganj of Moulvibazar, soil traders operate day and night despite administrative raids and fines. Similar illegal excavation continues along the Gomti River in Cumilla and in Raipur, Lakshmipur, where fertile land is being stripped to feed brick kilns. Local officials confirm ongoing mobile court operations, fines, and vehicle seizures.

Authorities have pledged continued enforcement and investigations, but the persistence of the trade indicates enforcement challenges. The ongoing loss of topsoil poses serious risks to agricultural diversity, economic stability, and food security in affected regions.

A severe cold spell continues in Nawabganj upazila of Dinajpur on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, with the lowest temperature recorded at 10.3 degrees Celsius at 6 a.m. The humidity level stood at 93 percent, intensifying the cold sensation across the district. Dense fog and chilly winds since dawn have brought daily life to a near standstill, particularly affecting laborers, farmers, day workers, and students. Road traffic has also slowed due to poor visibility caused by the fog.

According to Tofazzal Hossain, an official from the Dinajpur Meteorological Department, the cold conditions in the northern region have not yet subsided. The combination of low temperature and high humidity has made the cold more biting and prolonged the foggy conditions.

The persistent cold weather continues to disrupt normal activities in Nawabganj, with residents struggling to cope as the chill lingers across northern Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh Army conducted a special operation early Monday in Udaypur area of Jhenaidah Sadar upazila, recovering looted tear gas and sound grenades. The raid was carried out by a patrol team of the East Bengal Regiment, which also detained Rubel Hossain, a local resident facing multiple criminal cases. The seized items included a multi-impact sound grenade, a cocktail, and a random-move tear gas grenade.

According to army sources, the recovered equipment matches those used by the Bangladesh Police and is believed to be part of the gear stolen or lost during the July protests of the previous year. Local residents said Rubel Hossain had been active in violent activities during that period and had previously been in law enforcement custody.

The army stated that the operation followed intelligence reports about attempts by criminal groups to create unrest in the area ahead of the national election. The recovered weapons have been handed over to Jhenaidah Sadar Police Station, whose officer-in-charge confirmed receipt of the evidence.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) announced that strict punitive measures will be taken against anyone honking in or around Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The decision was detailed in a press release signed by Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Talebur Rahman of the DMP’s Media and Public Relations Division on Monday, January 19, 2026.

According to the release, the Dhaka North City Corporation declared the airport area and a 1.5-kilometer stretch from Scholastica School to Hotel Le Méridien, as well as Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara, and Niketan, as silent zones since September of the previous year. Under the Road Transport Act 2018 and the Noise Pollution (Control) Regulations, honking in these silent zones is a punishable offense, carrying a maximum fine of 10,000 taka or up to three months’ imprisonment.

The newly issued Noise Pollution (Control) Regulations 2025 authorize police to impose fines for honking or causing noise pollution in silent zones. The DMP stated that it will take strict disciplinary action against violators in these designated areas.

Police have arrested Abul Kashem, a 50-year-old BNP leader, in connection with a case alleging an attempt to occupy government land in Hatiya, an island upazila of Noakhali. The arrest was made in Dhaka earlier on Monday, January 19, and confirmed later that night by Hatiya Police Station Officer-in-Charge Saiful Alam. Kashem, also known as Kashem Dubai, is the son of Nur Ahmed from Ward 3 of Hatiya Municipality and a former organizational secretary of the local BNP unit.

According to the case statement, a group had been trying for a long time to illegally occupy government khas land near the Goltola tourism center in Burirchar Union’s Rahmat Bazar area. On January 8, land officials visited the site after receiving complaints that the accused were showing fake documents to sell land to landless people. The group allegedly demanded Tk 2 crore in extortion and threatened violence if the demand was not met.

Local administration and police later conducted an operation to control the situation, detaining two people while others fled. Police said Kashem faces charges of obstruction of government work, extortion, fraud, and attempted land grabbing.