The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Sirajganj has projected a combined market value of around Tk 1,200 to 1,250 crore from mustard and honey production in the current season. Mustard cultivation has expanded to 90,550 hectares across Ullapara, Tarash, Raiganj, and Shahjadpur upazilas, exceeding the initial target of 90,000 hectares. The DAE expects about 146,000 metric tons of mustard to be produced if weather conditions remain favorable. Farmers are optimistic about good profits due to improved seed varieties and favorable weather.

Honey production has also become a significant economic activity alongside mustard farming. The district has set a target of producing 404,000 kilograms of honey this season, with 220 beekeepers already collecting about 100,000 kilograms. Ullapara upazila leads in both mustard and honey output, creating employment opportunities for many. The DAE is promoting the high-yielding BARI Sarisha-20 variety, which matures within 75–80 days and allows farmers to cultivate boro rice afterward.

Officials noted that expanding mustard cultivation could help reduce Bangladesh’s dependence on imported edible oil, as domestic production currently meets only a small portion of national demand.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-10 has arrested Md. Bapparaj, also known as Bappa, the prime suspect in the murder of CNG auto-rickshaw driver Pappu Sheikh in Jurain under Dhaka’s Kadamtali police station. Acting on a tip-off and using technological assistance, RAB-10’s CPC-1 Jatrabari Camp team detained Bapparaj from the Hasnabad area of South Keraniganj around 7:20 p.m. on Wednesday, January 15.

According to RAB, the murder occurred on December 1 in Kana Jobbar’s Lane of Jurain’s Kabi Nazrul area, where Bapparaj and his associates allegedly carried out a planned armed attack on Pappu Sheikh, firing three rounds. One bullet hit a vital area, leaving Pappu critically injured; he later died at the hospital. Based on a complaint from the victim’s father, a murder case was filed at Kadamtali Police Station, and RAB-10 assisted in tracking down the fugitives.

RAB reported that Bapparaj faces eight cases involving weapons, drugs, robbery, and extortion at Kadamtali Police Station. He has been handed over to the concerned police station for legal proceedings. Earlier, two other suspects, Yusuf Sardar and Uzzal alias Kanchi, were also arrested in connection with the same case.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested Jahangir Alam, the main accused in the attack on police during an anti-drug operation in Sreepur, Gazipur. According to a statement signed by Lieutenant Nafiz Bin Jamal, commander of RAB-1 Specialized Company, Porabari Camp, Jahangir was detained late Thursday night from the Ansar Road area of Sreepur upazila. The 26-year-old is a resident of Kewa Paschim Khanda village under Sreepur municipality.

RAB information states that on December 31, police from Sreepur station conducted an anti-drug operation behind Peer Ali Degree College in Maona Chourasta based on secret intelligence. Jahangir and another person were arrested during the raid. Following the arrests, Jahangir’s associates attacked the police with local weapons, assaulted officers, freed Jahangir, and vandalized two police vehicles, injuring five policemen. Sub-inspector Arun Kumar Biswas later filed a case over the incident.

Sreepur Police Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Nasir Ahmad confirmed that RAB handed Jahangir over to the police station and that he will be sent to court on Friday.

A fire broke out on the second floor of a six-storey residential building in Sector 11 of Uttara, Dhaka, on Friday morning. Initially, three deaths were reported, but the toll later rose to six, including two women, one man, and a child. The identities of the remaining victims have not yet been confirmed. Thirteen people were rescued from the site and taken to Kuwait Maitree Hospital, according to the Fire Service.

The Fire Service’s central media cell reported receiving the fire alert at 7:50 a.m. Firefighters from Uttara Fire Station reached the scene at 7:58 a.m., brought the blaze under control by 8:25 a.m., and fully extinguished it by 10:00 a.m. Two units from the Uttara station took part in the operation.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of the fire or details about the victims’ identities. Further investigation is expected to determine the source and circumstances of the incident.

A special army operation in Lohagara, Chattogram, led to the arrest of top criminal Rifat, aged 35, on Thursday afternoon. The operation took place in the Telibila area of Charamba Union’s Ward No. 5, where Rifat, son of Siddiq Saudagar, was detained with a cache of weapons and other items. The joint forces recovered two LG guns, seven cartridges, two liters of local liquor, four machetes, six knives, a drone, eight mobile phones, three memory cards, a mobile battery, a rocket parachute flare signal, a pen drive, and a motorcycle.

According to local residents, Rifat had long been involved in extortion, intimidation, and various criminal activities in the area. Captain Walid Bin Maudud of the Lohagara Army Camp stated that the arrest was made based on intelligence information, and the detainee was handed over to Lohagara Police Station along with the seized items. Officer-in-Charge Abdul Jalil confirmed that a case has been filed against Rifat.

Residents expressed relief following the arrest, saying it brought a sense of safety back to the community.

Dhaka’s sidewalks and major roads have been largely occupied by hawkers, extortion syndicates, and politically backed illegal shops, leaving little space for pedestrians and vehicles. The situation spans key areas including Motijheel, Gulistan, New Market, and Khilkhet, where footpaths and even half of main roads are filled with makeshift stalls. The resulting congestion has severely disrupted traffic and increased accident risks. Dhaka North and South City Corporations and the police remain at odds over responsibility for clearing the encroachments.

Investigations reveal that hawkers have increased across the city, with extortion networks collecting daily payments from vendors under political protection. Complaints have been filed alleging that organized groups linked to political figures control illegal businesses and collect large sums from shop owners. Attempts to remove encroachments have faced violent resistance, including attacks on city officials during eviction drives.

Urban planners and city officials acknowledge that sporadic eviction efforts have failed to bring lasting results. They emphasize the need for coordinated action between city corporations and police to restore pedestrian access and control illegal occupation of public spaces.

A report by the commission on enforced disappearances has revealed a detailed account of abductions and extrajudicial killings that occurred in 2012 and 2013. The report states that on December 4, 2013, BNP leader Sajedul Islam Sumon and seven others were abducted from Dhaka, while several members of Islami Chhatra Shibir also went missing. It identifies the involvement of RAB Intelligence, RAB-1, and other battalions, naming several then-senior officers including Lt. Col. Ziaul Ahsan, Lt. Col. Kismat Hayat, Maj. Mahfuzul-Amin Nur, Maj. Abdullah Al Momen, Capt. HM Selimuzzaman, Brig. Miftah Uddin Ahmed, and Lt. Col. Shaheen Azad.

The report cites testimony from witnesses and surviving victims, describing operations where detainees were moved between locations, official records were destroyed, and victims’ identities concealed. One officer testified about a “Golf Operation” in which four unidentified persons were shot and their bodies dumped into a river. The commission also linked RAB units to the abductions of BNP leader M. Ilias Ali and Shibir member Hafiz Zakir Hossain.

According to the commission, many victims’ fates remain unknown, but evidence confirms direct involvement of RAB Intelligence, RAB-1, and related units in the disappearances and killings.

Police in Tangail have arrested three men, including a bus driver and his assistants, for allegedly gang-raping a college student on a moving bus along the Dhaka–Tangail highway. The arrests were made on Thursday afternoon near the Korotia underpass area, where the bus was also seized. The detainees were identified as driver Altaf, 25, and assistants Rabbi, 21, and Sagor, 24.

According to Elenga Highway Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Sharif, the incident occurred late Wednesday night when the victim, a philosophy student from Mirpur Government Bangla College, boarded a Savar Paribahan bus from Radio Colony in Savar to Ashulia. After other passengers disembarked, the suspects allegedly detained her, robbed her of jewelry, money, and mobile phone, and then drove the bus to different locations while assaulting her throughout the night. They also recorded the assault on video.

Police discovered the crime when they stopped the bus for questioning after noticing it parked suspiciously on the highway. The victim was rescued and taken to Tangail Sadar Police Station. Journalists later reported being obstructed by police when attempting to gather information and photographs related to the case.

Police in Dhaka’s Keraniganj recovered the decomposed bodies of a mother and her teenage daughter from a second-floor flat in Kalindi Union’s Muktirbagh area on Thursday evening. According to the report, the victims, Rokeya Begum and her 14-year-old daughter Fatema, were killed on December 26 of the previous year. Their bodies were found after a foul smell from the apartment of Fatema’s private tutor, Mim Akter, raised suspicion among locals, who then informed the police.

Relatives said the mother and daughter had gone missing on December 26, prompting Rokeya’s husband, Shahin, to file a general diary with the local police station. Upon investigation, officers discovered Rokeya’s body under a bed and Fatema’s body from the bathroom ceiling of Mim’s residence. Following the discovery, Keraniganj Model Police arrested Mim Akter, her husband Humayun, and two of her sisters in connection with the case.

The police are continuing their investigation into the motive and circumstances surrounding the killings.

Prosecutors have formally filed charges against 26 individuals for crimes against humanity in connection with the killing of seven people, including Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho, during the July Revolution in Dhaka’s Uttara area. The charges were submitted on Thursday before the International Crimes Tribunal-1, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mojumdar, with Justices Md Shafiul Alam Mahmud and Md Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury as members. The tribunal accepted the charges and set January 21 for the next hearing.

According to the prosecution, the first charge concerns the events of July 18, 2024, when Mugdho, a student of Bangladesh University of Professionals, was shot dead while assisting injured protesters and distributing water and biscuits. Six others were also killed that day, including an Uber driver who was crushed under an armored vehicle. The second charge relates to the killing of four more people in Uttara on July 19, 2024.

Eight of the accused, including former DMP Uttara Zone DC Mirza Salahuddin and Uttara East Police OC Mojibur Rahman, are in custody, while 18 others remain fugitives.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed three separate cases against Fahim Afsar Alam, Farhan Sadiq Alam, and Tanisha Alam, the children of former Member of Parliament Mahbubul Alam Hanif. The cases were lodged under Section 26(2) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004, after the three failed to submit their wealth statements within the stipulated time. The ACC had earlier issued notices on November 27 requesting the statements.

At a press conference held at the ACC headquarters in Segunbagicha, Dhaka, on Thursday at 3 p.m., the Commission’s Director General (Prevention), Akhter Hossain, confirmed the filing of the cases. He stated that the Commission had taken the next steps in accordance with the law.

The ACC’s action follows procedural requirements under the 2004 Act, which mandates submission of wealth statements upon notice. The Commission indicated that further legal measures would proceed as per due process.

A distributor sales representative (DSR) of Dutch-Bangla Bank’s mobile banking unit was allegedly robbed of Tk 2.4 million in cash at Kamaldi Bridge in Rajoir upazila of Madaripur on Thursday afternoon, January 15, 2026. The victim, Sushmoy Chakraborty, was transporting the money by motorcycle when several men on three motorcycles approached him, used an intoxicating substance near his face, and fled toward Madaripur with the bag of cash.

According to police and the victim, Sushmoy had collected Tk 10 lakh from the Tekerhat branch, Tk 7 lakh from the Phultala agent branch in Paikpara, and Tk 7 lakh from the Amgram Bazar agent branch, intending to deliver the total amount to the Dutch-Bangla agent banking branch at Bajitpur Mojuddar Bazar. The incident occurred on the Dhaka-Barishal Highway near Kamaldi Bridge.

Dutch-Bangla Bank’s Tekerhat branch manager, Montosh Sarkar, said the matter was immediately reported to police and higher authorities. Rajoir Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sheikh Md Aminul Islam confirmed that an investigation is underway to identify those involved, and the DSR is being questioned.

Police in Comilla’s Debidwar upazila have arrested Union Parishad chairman Haji Jalal Uddin Bhuiyan, 63, an accused named in the murder case of volunteer leader Shaheed Abdur Razzak Rubel. The arrest took place on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at Bhuiyan’s home in Surjapur village under Bhani Union. Police said the operation was conducted based on a court-issued arrest warrant related to Rubel’s killing during the anti-discrimination student movement. After his arrest, Bhuiyan was presented before a Comilla court and sent to jail by court order.

According to case records, Rubel, a municipal volunteer leader, was shot dead on August 4, 2024, amid clashes between protesters and others during the nationwide anti-discrimination movement. Two separate murder cases were filed over the incident—one by BNP leader Abul Kashem in Comilla court and another by Rubel’s mother, Hosneara Begum, at Debidwar police station. Police stated that Bhuiyan is also named in several other cases filed over violence and attacks during the same movement.

Debidwar police said Bhuiyan had been absconding for a long time before his arrest and was later sent to jail following court proceedings.

The July Shaheed Smriti Foundation (JSSF) has announced that it needs an additional Tk 2.38 billion to fulfill its commitments to the families of martyrs and injured fighters of the July uprising. The foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, Lt. Col. (Retd.) Kamal Akbar, made the statement at a press conference held on Thursday in front of the JSSF stall at the International Trade Fair in Purbachal. He said the foundation’s goal is to ensure dignity, security, and a sustainable future for those who sacrificed their lives or were injured during the July movement.

According to Kamal Akbar, JSSF has already distributed Tk 1.1621 billion out of Tk 1.1998 billion received from the Chief Adviser’s Fund and public contributions. The funds have reached 829 martyr families and 6,471 injured fighters, while 7,769 injured fighters are still awaiting financial assistance. He added that 7,082 injured fighters have applied for rehabilitation, with 25 percent seeking training, 20 percent employment, and 54 percent self-employment opportunities. So far, 82 injured fighters have been sustainably rehabilitated through the foundation.

Kamal Akbar emphasized that sustainable rehabilitation and proper recognition of the July fighters are essential for the nation’s long-term progress, calling for coordinated support from the media, society, and the state.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed two separate cases against the two children of former Narayanganj-4 Member of Parliament Shamim Osman for not submitting their wealth statements within the stipulated period. The announcement was made by ACC Director General Md. Akhtar Hossain at a press conference held at the commission’s headquarters on Thursday at 3 p.m.

According to the ACC, notices were issued on August 26 last year to Shamim Osman’s son Imtinan Osman and daughter Labiba Zoha Angna, instructing them to submit their wealth statements within a specified time. However, neither of them applied for an extension nor submitted the required statements within the deadline.

As a result, the ACC filed two separate cases against Imtinan Osman and Labiba Zoha Angna under Section 26(2) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004.