Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that Moscow will continue its trade relations with Iran despite the recent U.S. decision to impose an additional 25 percent tariff on countries trading with Tehran. Speaking at a press conference in Moscow, Lavrov said Russia must carry on its work and implement existing agreements with Iran and other economic partners.

The Kremlin criticized the U.S. move, describing it as an attempt to isolate Iran. Lavrov argued that when a powerful country like the United States resorts to such measures, it signals a weakening position in the competitive global market. The statement came after China also rejected the U.S. tariff decision and confirmed its intention to maintain economic ties with Iran.

The Russian stance underscores continued resistance among key global players to U.S. economic pressure on Iran, suggesting that Washington’s tariff policy may face limited international compliance.

Depositors of five troubled Islamic banks in Bangladesh will not receive any profit on their deposits for the years 2024 and 2025. The directive was issued after approval from Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H. Mansur, instructing the banks to suspend profit calculations during this period. The affected banks are Social Islami Bank, First Security Islami Bank, EXIM Bank, Union Bank, and Global Islami Bank, all of which are being merged into a newly formed Combined Islami Bank.

According to the central bank’s resolution scheme, all deposit accounts will be recalculated without profit for the specified two years, applying a defined haircut to determine final balances. The new bank will have an authorized capital of Tk 40,000 crore and a paid-up capital of Tk 35,000 crore, with the government already injecting Tk 20,000 crore as Class A shares. Portions of institutional deposits will be converted into Class B and C shares totaling Tk 15,000 crore.

The scheme also sets withdrawal limits and allows up to 20 percent of term deposits to be used for loans or investments, aiming to stabilize the merged entity’s financial structure.

A joint operation led by the army in Shibpur upazila of Narsingdi recovered a large quantity of weapons and drugs and arrested seven individuals early Wednesday morning. The raid took place in the Kararchar and Jangaila areas under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Shamim Rahman, PSC Sigs of the 9 Signal Battalion. The seized items and detainees were handed over to Shibpur Model Police Station.

According to the report, the recovered materials included one firearm with two cartridges, three pistol magazines, 1,600 yaba tablets, cash amounting to Tk 1,540,100, 17 mobile phones, two samurai swords, six bottles of phensedyl, nine bottles of foreign liquor, two fake pistols, two machetes, and one laptop. The arrested persons were identified as residents of Kararchar, Shahapur, and Jangaila areas. Shibpur Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Kohinur Mia confirmed the incident.

The operation highlights ongoing law enforcement efforts in Narsingdi to curb illegal arms and narcotics activities, with the seized items now under police custody for further investigation.

Armed assailants opened fire at an under-construction building in Dhaka’s Badda area on Tuesday night, allegedly over extortion demands. Police confirmed that the incident occurred at a site owned by a developer company named Royal Mission. The Badda Police Station’s officer-in-charge, Md Nasirul Amin, stated that reports of gunfire at the National Citizen Party (NCP) office were false.

According to police, the attackers identified themselves as associates of a man named Mehedi before firing shots in front of the building. Mehedi is reportedly abroad, and a police team is investigating those linked to his group. The developer’s owners had recently received phone threats demanding money from extortionists.

Mahbub Alam, head of the NCP’s election media subcommittee, said the shooting took place near the party’s organizational office in Ward 38 but was unrelated to any political office or figure. He added that the incident did not appear to have political connections.

A Dhaka Cyber Tribunal has dismissed a case filed under the Digital Security Act against former Bangladesh Pratidin editor Naeem Nizam and two others. The order, issued on Wednesday by Judge Mohammad Saidur Rahman, also acquitted publisher Moynal Hossain Chowdhury and Bangla Insider editor Syed Borhan Kabir. The court ruled that the charges were not covered under the Cyber Security Ordinance, leading to the case’s cancellation.

Defense lawyer Enamul Haque argued that the charges under sections 25, 29, and 35 of the 2018 Digital Security Act had been annulled by the Cyber Security Ordinance 2025, as published in an official gazette on October 22, 2025. The ordinance states that cases under those sections cannot continue in court, prompting the tribunal to issue the acquittal order.

The case was originally filed on February 15, 2022, by Barrister M Sarwar Hossain, who alleged defamatory reporting in Bangladesh Pratidin and Bangla Insider. The CID later submitted a report in November 2024 accusing three individuals, but the tribunal’s latest ruling effectively ends the proceedings.

The Association of Development Agencies in Bangladesh (EDAB) and the Center for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS) jointly proposed ten recommendations to minimize loss of life and property during earthquakes. The proposals were presented on Wednesday at a seminar titled “Measures to Protect Life and Property in Earthquakes,” held at the Dhaka Reporters Unity under the chairmanship of EDAB Chairman Anwar Hossain. CAPS President Professor Dr. Ahmed Kamruzzaman Majumdar presented the concept paper, with participation from academics, disaster management experts, and civil defense professionals.

The recommendations include strict enforcement of the National Building Code, ensuring all new buildings follow earthquake-resistant designs, banning unauthorized construction, and auditing old or weak structures for retrofitting or removal. They also call for strengthening essential services such as hospitals, schools, and utilities, promoting family-level preparedness plans, maintaining emergency kits, and conducting regular earthquake drills in schools and communities. The seminar participants noted that current government disaster management efforts and preparedness remain unsatisfactory and urged stronger enforcement and coordination among departments.

Speakers emphasized that government accountability and improved coordination are essential to reduce risks and ensure effective earthquake preparedness across Bangladesh.

Police in Mymensingh have arrested seven people, including the father of a suspect, for attacking officers and snatching a detainee while he was being taken to the police station. The incident occurred in the Digharkanda area when a police team arrested Ariful Islam, an accused in an earlier assault case, and was transporting him to the station. The attackers, reportedly led by Ariful’s father Sagar Ali, used sticks and local weapons to assault five police members and freed Ariful, who was handcuffed at the time.

According to Kotwali Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Najmus Sakib, the earlier case involved the severe injury of a man named Russell on January 10. Following that assault, Russell’s family filed a case naming eight individuals and several unidentified others. After the police attack, Assistant Sub-Inspector Ariful Islam filed another case naming 29 people and 140 unidentified attackers.

Police launched an immediate operation and arrested seven suspects from Digharkanda. They were presented before the court on Wednesday after legal procedures were completed.

Police in Sherpur upazila of Bogura district conducted a special operation late Tuesday night, January 13, 2026, and seized 600 bottles of Phensedyl from a mini covered van. The raid took place around 11:30 p.m. in the Dhunat Mor area, where two individuals were arrested on the spot. The detainees were identified as driver Sharif Khan, 33, from Gazipur, and helper Amir Hossain, 25, from Chandpur.

According to police sources, the operation was carried out based on secret information under the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police Sajib Shahrin and led by Sherpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Ibrahim Ali. During the search, officers found the bottles hidden inside the vehicle. Police seized the van and filed a case under the Narcotics Control Act, with Sub-Inspector Bikash Chandra as the complainant.

OC Ibrahim Ali stated that legal proceedings against the accused are underway and that police surveillance continues to maintain law and order and combat drug trafficking in the area.

An elderly man named Abul Kashem was killed after being hit by a truck on the Dhaka-Narayanganj Link Road on Wednesday around 12:30 p.m. The accident occurred in front of the District Commissioner’s office. Kashem, a resident of Araihazar upazila, had come to Narayanganj for a court-related matter when the incident took place.

According to reports, the victim was crossing the road when a speeding oil drum-laden truck (Dhaka Metro D-14-2722) traveling from Dhaka to Narayanganj ran him over, killing him instantly. Fire service personnel and police recovered the body shortly after the accident.

Fatullah Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abdul Mannan confirmed that the body had been recovered and the truck involved in the accident was seized. Legal proceedings regarding the incident are currently underway.

A rickshaw puller named Babul Hawlader Sagar, aged 45, was killed after being hit by a covered van in Dhaka’s Jatrabari area early Wednesday morning. The incident occurred around 5:30 a.m. near the Kajla area. According to witnesses and police, Sagar was repairing a battery-run autorickshaw near the Kajla toll plaza when a covered van struck him from behind and fled the scene. He was rescued in critical condition and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead around 6:15 a.m.

Sub-inspector Shahnewaz of Jatrabari Police Station confirmed the incident. The victim, originally from Madanpur in Narayanganj, lived in the Shonir Akhra area with his wife and two children. His body has been kept at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Police have not yet identified the vehicle or driver responsible for the accident, and no further details on the investigation were provided in the report.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) conducted a raid at the University of Chittagong on Wednesday following allegations of irregularities in more than 150 appointments approved by a university syndicate. The operation began at 11:30 a.m. under the leadership of ACC Chittagong Assistant Director Sayed Alam, and the matter was confirmed to the media by ACC Chittagong Deputy Director Subel Ahmed.

According to university authorities, the 565th syndicate meeting held on January 9 approved the appointment of 113 individuals, including teachers, officers, and employees. Among them, 21 were appointed as teachers, 8 as officers, and 84 as third- and fourth-class employees. The list also included Mahira Khan, daughter of the university’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor Shamim Uddin Khan, who was appointed as a lecturer.

The ACC raid followed public allegations that the recruitment process involved irregularities, prompting the commission to investigate the matter further.

The Sirajganj Press Club organized a protest and human chain on Wednesday morning following a petrol bomb attack on the home of Shariful Islam Inna, the district correspondent of the daily Amar Desh and general secretary of the Sirajganj Press Club. The event took place at the press club premises, where speakers including club president Harun-or-Rashid Khan Hasan and office secretary Enamul Haque condemned the attack and demanded the immediate arrest of those involved.

According to the report, the attack occurred on Saturday night, January 10, around 9 p.m., in the Diyar Dhangora area of Sirajganj municipality. Three youths reportedly arrived on a motorcycle and threw two petrol bombs at Inna’s residence before fleeing. The explosion caused a fire that spread panic among family members, but it was quickly brought under control with water. A complaint has been filed with the local police station.

Members of the Sirajganj Press Club’s executive committee, including several current and former office bearers, attended the protest to express solidarity and demand justice for the attack.

Venezuela’s state-owned oil company PDVSA has filed an appeal in a US court against an order to sell its American subsidiary, Citgo. Company representatives said on Tuesday that they have requested the cancellation of the court-directed sale, which was initiated to repay outstanding debts. Multiple creditors have long sought to recover more than 20 billion dollars owed by Venezuela, with Citgo being a key target for repayment claims.

According to AFP, a court in Delaware approved the sale of Citgo in late November last year as part of efforts to resolve the prolonged legal dispute. Citgo’s board has also petitioned to halt the sale, arguing that the US foreclosure process involves a serious conflict of interest that could harm the company’s economic value. The board estimates Citgo’s current worth at around 10 billion dollars.

The appeal marks the latest development in a complex legal battle over Venezuela’s unpaid debts and the future of one of its most valuable foreign assets.

A joint operation by law enforcement agencies in Kararchar and Jangaila areas of Shibpur upazila, Narsingdi, led to the recovery of a large quantity of weapons and drugs and the arrest of seven individuals. The operation was conducted at around 3 a.m. on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, under the leadership of Lt. Col. Shamim Rahman, PSC Sigs of the 9 Signal Battalion. The detainees and seized items have been handed over to Shibpur Model Police Station.

Among the recovered items were one firearm with two cartridges, three pistol magazines, 1,600 yaba tablets, cash amounting to Tk 15,40,100, 17 mobile phones (13 smartphones and 4 button phones), two samurai swords, six bottles of phensedyl, nine bottles of foreign liquor, two fake pistols, two machetes, and one laptop. The officer-in-charge of Shibpur Model Police Station, Mohammad Kohinur Mia, confirmed the incident.

The arrests include individuals from Kararchar, Shahapur, and Jangaila areas, among them a local figure identified as Jamal Uddin Khoka and his associates. The seized materials are now under police custody for further investigation.

Police in Cumilla’s Burichang upazila arrested three suspects accused of killing a pregnant woman, Fahima Akter Akhi, following a dispute over diaper disposal. The arrests took place near the Kasba border area as the suspects allegedly prepared to flee to India. Burichang police, acting on a tip-off, conducted a joint operation with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and detained the accused just before they could cross the border.

The arrested individuals were identified as Md. Saidur Rahman, 24, Shafiul Jannat alias Siam, 19, and Shahariar Nazim Joy, 19. Saidur and Siam are residents of Jagatpur (Nagarbari) in Burichang, while Joy is from Bashmangal village under Cumilla Kotwali police station. According to the Burichang police officer-in-charge, the detainees are the first, second, and fourth named accused in the murder case.

The incident occurred on January 11 in Jagatpur village, where a trivial dispute over waste disposal escalated into violence. Fahima Akter Akhi was fatally attacked with a sharp weapon, and three others were seriously injured. Police said multiple sections of the penal code have been invoked, and further legal action is underway.