The United States has approved the 'Russian Sanctions Bill', which proposes tariffs of up to 500% on countries importing oil from Russia. Although the bill has not yet been voted on, it signals potential pressure on nations such as India and China to halt purchases of discounted Russian crude. The move comes amid an unfinished US-India trade agreement, with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggesting delays were linked to a lack of direct communication between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump.

India, a major buyer of Russian oil, has already reduced imports following earlier US tariff threats. Experts warn that if the bill passes, India could face severe export losses, with $87.4 billion in trade with the US at risk. Ajay Srivastava of the Global Trade Research Initiative said the bill’s passage is unlikely but urged India to clarify its oil policy. Former trade secretary Ajay Dua described the measure as weaponizing trade.

Analysts note the bill could primarily target India while sparing China, potentially straining India-US relations further. The US has also withdrawn from the India-led International Solar Alliance, adding to diplomatic friction.

A massive fire broke out early Friday night in three jute warehouses in Muksudpur upazila of Gopalganj, burning around 1,800 maunds of jute and causing an estimated loss of Tk 1 crore. The blaze started around 2:30 a.m. near the Muksudpur government T&T office and quickly spread to adjacent warehouses. Fire service units from Muksudpur and Kashiani, led by Station Master Mehedi Hasan, worked for hours to bring the fire under control.

According to reports, jute traders Sunil Saha, Nirmal Saha, and Ikram Mia lost approximately 1,300, 175, and 300 maunds of jute respectively. The affected traders said they had closed their warehouses as usual the previous evening and were unaware of how the fire started. Station Officer Mehedi Hasan stated that the cause of the fire remains unknown but may have originated from wooden debris behind one of the warehouses. An investigation will determine the exact cause.

Authorities have not yet confirmed the full extent of the damage or announced any compensation measures for the affected traders.

Pakistan’s security forces killed 11 militants allegedly backed by India during two separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Saturday. The operations were conducted last Thursday in North Waziristan and Kurram districts, where the militants, identified as members of the group Fitna al-Kharij, were reportedly engaged in armed clashes with the military.

ISPR stated that six militants were killed in North Waziristan following an exchange of heavy gunfire, while five others were killed in Kurram. Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the dead militants. The statement described the group as being involved in numerous attacks against security forces, law enforcement agencies, and civilians.

The ISPR described the militants as India-supported proxies, though no independent verification of the claim was mentioned in the report.

Bangladesh’s lowest temperature of 8.3 degrees Celsius was recorded on Saturday, January 10, 2026, in Chuadanga and Panchagarh’s Tetulia. According to local weather observations, Chuadanga registered 9.2 degrees Celsius at 6 a.m. with 95 percent humidity, which dropped to 8.3 degrees Celsius by 9 a.m. when humidity stood at 93 percent. The data was confirmed by the acting officer of the first-class weather observatory, Jaminur Rahman Jaman.

A continuous cold wave, sometimes moderate and sometimes mild, has been sweeping over Chuadanga, severely disrupting daily life. Dense fog and cold winds from the north have caused transportation delays and reduced visibility from night until morning. The district’s normal activities have slowed significantly as residents struggle with the biting cold.

In recent days, temperatures in Chuadanga have fluctuated between 6.9 and 8.5 degrees Celsius, indicating persistent cold conditions across the region.

Bangladesh’s National Security Adviser Dr. Khalilur Rahman met US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamison Greer in Washington, D.C. on Thursday afternoon, according to the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing on Friday. Dr. Rahman also held a separate meeting with US Deputy Trade Representative Brendan Lynch. During the talks, he highlighted progress in reducing the trade deficit between Bangladesh and the United States and proposed lowering the existing 20 percent reciprocal tariff.

Ambassador Greer assured that the proposal would be considered positively and agreed to review Dr. Rahman’s suggestion to reduce or remove tariffs on garments made with US raw materials. Both sides agreed to resolve outstanding issues quickly to finalize and implement the reciprocal tariff agreement. Dr. Rahman noted that increased trade would strengthen business connections between the two countries.

He also urged the US side to ease business travel for Bangladeshis following the country’s inclusion in the US visa bond program and requested access to Development Finance Corporation (DFC) funds for Bangladesh’s private sector. Ambassador Greer expressed willingness to cooperate on these matters.

A leader of the Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal in Kurigram has been expelled following allegations of involvement in a question leak during the primary school assistant teacher recruitment examination. The decision was announced on Friday evening through a press release signed by Touhidul Islam Tarek, office secretary of the district unit. District convener Arman Hossain confirmed the expulsion.

According to the statement, Minarul Islam, joint convener of the Nageshwari upazila unit, was expelled from all party positions for damaging the party’s image and violating organizational discipline. Minarul also held positions in the upazila BNP convening committee and the Bamandanga union BNP.

Earlier on Friday afternoon, police detained Minarul and five others from a house behind Kazi Market in Nageshwari town before the recruitment exam began. They were reportedly found with question papers and electronic devices.

Large portions of Dhaka’s roads, from main arteries to narrow lanes, have become nearly impassable due to potholes, open manholes, and prolonged excavation works. A report published on January 10, 2026, describes that about two-thirds of the city’s roads under Dhaka North and South City Corporations are in poor condition, with many areas turning into waterlogged pits during rains. Residents in newly added 18 wards face extreme hardship despite paying taxes, as basic urban services remain inadequate.

Field visits revealed that major routes such as Basabo–Madartek, Khilgaon, and Nikunja–2 are riddled with large potholes, causing constant traffic jams. Urban planner Adil Muhammad Khan stated that the city corporations have failed to meet citizens’ expectations due to uncoordinated digging, waste mismanagement, and encroachment. Officials from both corporations acknowledged limited budgets and pending project approvals worth nearly 1,900 crore taka.

The prolonged road and flyover construction has slowed city traffic to an average of four kilometers per hour, disrupting emergency services and daily commutes. Authorities have promised repairs, but visible progress remains minimal.

A prolonged 17-day cold wave and dense fog have severely affected Boro rice seedbeds in Saghata upazila of Gaibandha, causing cold injury and damaging seedlings across several unions. Farmers reported that seedlings have turned yellow, growth has slowed, and in some areas, seedbeds have completely rotted. The situation has created uncertainty about timely transplantation of seedlings for the current season.

Farmers said the lack of sunlight and low nighttime temperatures have hindered normal growth, while stagnant water in fields has worsened the cold’s impact. Many expressed concern that rebuilding seedbeds would require extra time and cost. Local farmers, including Abdul Mannan of Bonarpara and Mostafizur Rahman of Kochua, said their seedlings are dying despite protective measures like covering with straw and polythene.

According to the Saghata Agriculture Office, about 1,850 hectares were targeted for Boro cultivation this season, with 927 hectares already prepared. Upazila Agriculture Officer Md. Asaduzzaman said cold injury has appeared but the overall risk of major loss is low. Farmers have been advised to apply light irrigation in the evening, drain water in the morning, and cover seedbeds when necessary.

The Bogura Auto Major and Husking Mill Owners Association has submitted a memorandum to the district commissioner accusing the district food controller of demanding bribes from rice mill owners. The complaint alleges that officials sought between Tk 400 and Tk 700 per ton of rice supplied to government warehouses, sparking widespread anger among mill owners. The memorandum, sent on December 28, details that during a December 9 meeting at the Bogura Food Building, the district warehouse officer instructed mill owners to pay the bribe.

According to the document, when mill owners refused to pay Tk 600 per ton, tensions escalated. On December 23, the food controller allegedly summoned a local association leader to his office to demand his share and verbally abused him when he refused. The memorandum also accuses officials of harassment over security deposit withdrawals and corruption in paddy procurement through intermediaries. Copies were sent to senior food department officials seeking action.

Association leaders called for an impartial investigation and punishment for those involved, warning that failure to act could disrupt future food procurement drives. The food controller denied any bribery or misconduct allegations.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan stated that the government is prepared to be accountable on any issue and suggested forming a citizen-led commission to determine actions for environmental protection. She made the remarks on Friday at the opening of the two-day BAPA-BEN National Environment Conference held at the Krishibid Institution auditorium in Dhaka.

Hasan explained that due to the government’s short tenure, it prioritized election-related reforms based on proposals from six commissions that led to the July National Charter. She emphasized that environmental issues were not neglected but that the government had only about one year to work amid various challenges. She also noted that the Public Administration Reform Commission recommended a separate environmental cadre, while the Constitutional Reform Commission proposed including the environment as a fundamental right, though these could not be implemented within the current government’s limited timeframe.

The conference was chaired by BAPA President Professor Nur Mohammad Talukder, with concept paper presented by BAPA Vice-President and BEN founder Dr. Nazrul Islam.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department announced on Friday morning that a mild to moderate cold wave sweeping across 20 districts will continue for at least two more days. The lowest temperature recorded on Thursday was 6.9 degrees Celsius in Tetulia, Panchagarh. Meteorologist Muhammad Abul Kalam Mallik stated that all districts in Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions, along with Narsingdi, Jashore, Chuadanga, and Kushtia, are currently experiencing the cold wave.

According to the department, the cold conditions are expected to persist until at least mid-January, with possible variations in intensity and spread. On Wednesday, the season’s lowest temperature of 6.7 degrees Celsius was recorded in Badalgachhi, Naogaon. The number of affected districts decreased from 24 on Thursday to 20 on Friday.

The synoptic report noted that a deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal is moving northwestward and may cross the northern Sri Lanka coast around January 10. Its extension reaches the northern Bay of Bengal, while a subcontinental high-pressure ridge lies over West Bengal and adjoining western Bangladesh.

The Pay Commission is set to hold its final meeting on January 21 to finalize recommendations for Bangladesh’s ninth national pay scale. The decision to hold the conclusive session was made during a full commission meeting on Thursday. A commission member, speaking anonymously, confirmed that all aspects of the pay scale will be finalized at that meeting, though another full session may occur beforehand due to limited time.

According to a reliable commission source, the new pay ratio between the lowest and highest grades has been fixed at 1:8. This means if the lowest grade salary is 1 taka, the highest will be 8 taka. Three proposals have been submitted for the minimum salary—Tk 21,000, Tk 17,000, and Tk 16,000—with one expected to be finalized. The highest salary scale remains undecided as allowances such as housing and medical benefits are still under review.

Once finalized, the ninth pay scale is expected to bring significant changes to the salary structure of government employees, according to the report.

The Credit and Development Forum (CDF), a national network of microcredit organizations, has issued a statement defending the proposed Microcredit Bank Ordinance 2025 amid recent media debates. CDF described the ordinance as a positive and exemplary step, rejecting claims that it promotes profit-oriented banking or undermines microcredit principles. The organization said the proposed bank would operate as a social business, with investors barred from taking dividends beyond their initial capital.

According to CDF, the ordinance aims to strengthen the microfinance structure by focusing on poverty reduction, employment generation, and support for small enterprises and cottage industries. The bank’s operations would include loans, insurance, remittance services, and access to domestic and foreign grants and credit. CDF clarified that NGOs would not be forced to convert into banks, and dual regulation would not occur because the Bangladesh Bank and Microcredit Regulatory Authority would oversee separate parts of operations.

CDF also highlighted that 60 percent of the bank’s shares would be owned by poor members, ensuring empowerment and equitable benefit distribution. The group argued that the model represents a unique, socially driven approach compared to profit-based microcredit banks in Asia and Africa.

A severe shortage of LPG cylinders has hit Nilphamari district and its upazilas, with allegations that certain dealers and distributors have created an artificial crisis by ignoring government-set prices. Despite the official price for a 12-kg cylinder being set at Tk 1,306 for January, consumers report paying between Tk 1,800 and Tk 2,100. Many households, hotels, and small businesses have been forced to halt cooking and operations due to the scarcity.

Retailers claim they are unable to obtain sufficient supply from dealers even when offering higher prices. Some dealers are reportedly selling limited quantities without receipts and at inflated rates. Consumers and traders allege that the crisis intensified after rumors of a price hike spread, leading to hoarding and speculative selling. A distributor representative, however, attributed the higher prices to transport costs and denied wrongdoing.

Experts and consumers have urged immediate administrative action against hoarding, overpricing, and unrecorded sales, warning that the artificial shortage could worsen if enforcement delays continue.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur stated that there is no possibility of announcing a new pay scale before the upcoming national election. Speaking at a stakeholder meeting in a local hotel in Barishal on Thursday afternoon, he said the current interim government will not make any final decision on the matter, which he described as reasonable.

Dr. Mansur explained that the interim government might prepare a framework, but its implementation will depend entirely on the next elected government. With the election only a month away, he noted that the government’s focus is now centered on election-related activities. He expressed confidence that the next government will be able to take a comprehensive decision after reviewing previous work.

During the same event, the governor discussed the benefits of digital transactions, suggesting that mandatory QR codes for new trade licenses could boost cashless payments. He also described the country’s import policy as complex and said inefficiency among officials often delays imports, leading to price increases in the market.