The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has recovered 114 unidentified bodies of those killed during the July uprising. Among them, eight victims have been identified, according to information released by CID on Monday morning. The identified individuals include Faisal Sarkar, Parvez Bepari, Rafiqul Islam (52), Mahim, Sohel Rana, Asanullah, Kabil Hossain, and Rafiqul Islam (29).

Earlier, on August 4, Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman ordered the exhumation of the bodies following a police petition filed by Sub-Inspector Mahidul Islam of Mohammadpur Police Station. The exhumation process began on December 7.

The 114 victims had been buried anonymously at the Rayerbazar cemetery in Mohammadpur after being killed during last year’s anti-discrimination movement. The CID’s identification effort marks a significant step toward recognizing the victims of the July uprising.

Police in Chatmohar upazila of Pabna district arrested two alleged drug dealers in separate operations on Sunday evening and night. According to Chatmohar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Golam Sarwar Hossain, the first raid took place in Gunai Gacha Purbo Para village, where Jakirul Islam, 32, son of Mobarak Pramanik, was detained with 10 yaba tablets. Later, in another operation at Bothor Madhyapara village under Bilchalon Union, Sohel Rana, 22, son of Belal Pramanik, was arrested with 15 yaba tablets.

Police stated that two separate cases have been filed against the detainees in connection with the drug recovery. The operations were part of ongoing efforts to curb illegal drug trade in the area.

Authorities have not disclosed further details about the investigations or whether additional suspects are being sought in connection with the seizures.

A moderate earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale struck Assam in northern India early Monday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The quake occurred near the surface, with its epicenter located about three kilometers outside Dhing village, close to the Bhutan border. Tremors were felt at 4:17 a.m. local time (10:47 p.m. GMT on Sunday).

The USGS reported that although strong shaking was experienced in the area, the region’s relatively low population density is expected to limit the extent of damage. No immediate reports of casualties or major destruction have been received so far.

The Himalayan region is known for frequent seismic activity, with several major earthquakes recorded in India’s history. Notably, the 1950 Assam–Tibet earthquake killed around 4,800 people, and the 1897 “Great Assam Earthquake” remains one of the most powerful in the country’s history, causing hundreds of deaths in remote mountain areas.

Three suspects have been arrested by RAB in connection with the killing of rural physician Khokon Das, who was set on fire in Shariatpur. The arrests were announced on Sunday evening, January 4, at a press conference held at the RAB-8 camp in Madaripur by Commander Shahadat Hossain. The suspects—Sohag Khan, Rabbi Molla, and Palash Sardar—were detained from Bajitpur in Kishoreganj early Saturday night.

According to RAB, Khokon Das, a medicine seller and mobile banking agent from Tiloi area of Damudya upazila, was attacked with a knife while returning home on Wednesday night. When he recognized the attackers, they poured petrol on his body and face and set him on fire. He was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and died on Saturday morning while under treatment. His father, Paresh Chandra Das, filed a case against the three accused on Thursday night.

RAB stated that the detainees confessed to the killing during preliminary interrogation, and the knife used in the murder was recovered.

Thirty-six unprotected level crossings between Chilahati and Saidpur in Nilphamari have become deadly zones, with 14 people killed in train accidents across the district in 2025, according to Saidpur Railway Police records. Despite repeated fatalities, authorities have only installed warning signs instead of ensuring proper safety measures. The railway police confirmed that 13 unnatural death cases were filed in connection with these incidents.

Railway department data show that of the 36 approved level crossings in the Chilahati–Saidpur section, only 13 are guarded by gatekeepers. Local residents, including Abdul Gafur from Darwani Bazar, said thousands of pedestrians and vehicles cross these unprotected points daily, risking their lives. They demanded immediate safety measures to prevent further loss of life and property.

Statistics from previous years indicate a continuing pattern of fatal accidents, including four deaths in 2021 and another four in 2022 at unprotected crossings. In 2023, 24 people were killed in similar incidents, underscoring the urgent need for improved railway safety in Nilphamari.

At least 30 people were killed in a terrorist attack on a village in Niger State, Nigeria, according to police reports. Armed assailants emerged from a nearby forest near Kasuwan-Daji village on Saturday, setting fire to the local market and looting shops. Witnesses said the attackers arrived on motorcycles, gathered villagers, and opened fire indiscriminately. Local sources also reported that several people were abducted during the assault.

Officials from the Niger State Emergency Management Agency confirmed the incident, stating that villagers were captured and killed. The agency’s representative, Abdullahi Rofia, said residents were terrified and hiding, fearing further attacks. Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said emergency teams had been dispatched to assist the injured and that security forces were working to rescue the abducted individuals.

The Nigerian government has designated such armed groups as terrorists and banned ransom payments, though reports suggest the rule is often ignored. The attack highlights the continuing wave of violence and kidnappings in Nigeria’s western and central regions.

The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has issued the final gazette of the Public Offer of Securities Rules, 2025, allowing issuing companies to use up to 30 percent of funds raised through initial public offerings (IPOs) to repay bank loans. The decision, published on December 30, 2025, includes two conditions: the loan must be project or BMRE-related, and it cannot be a defaulted or rescheduled loan.

The previous draft of the regulation did not permit loan repayment from IPO proceeds, which had raised concerns among market participants about reduced corporate interest in stock market listings. Based on stakeholder feedback, BSEC reinstated the repayment option, similar to the one-third allowance under the 2015 rules. The new regulation also increases the quota for general investors and reintroduces the lottery system for IPO share allocation.

Additionally, the rules extend the IPO application submission period to 120 days and require stock exchange recommendations for IPO approvals. The number of qualified institutional investors for determining indicative prices in the book-building method has been reduced from 75 to 40.

Ferry and all other vessel operations on the Daulatdia–Paturia river route resumed on Monday morning after being suspended for nearly seven hours due to dense fog. Authorities restored normal navigation around 7:15 a.m. on January 5, 2026, once visibility improved. The suspension had begun at 12:30 a.m. the previous night when thick fog over the Padma River made navigation lights unclear and created safety risks.

According to the terminal authorities, the fog intensified after Sunday evening, severely reducing visibility and prompting the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) to halt all ferry and vessel movement for safety. During the suspension, long queues of passenger buses, trucks, and private cars formed at both Daulatdia and Paturia terminals, leaving travelers stranded in the cold night.

With ferry operations now restored, vehicles are gradually crossing the river, easing congestion and bringing relief to passengers and drivers who had faced significant hardship overnight.

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Sylhet and several northeastern districts of Bangladesh early Monday, January 5, 2026, at 4:47 a.m. The tremor was also felt across border regions of India, Myanmar, Bhutan, and China. According to the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and other international monitoring agencies, the quake originated at a depth of 10 kilometers.

The epicenter was located about 4 kilometers west of Dhing town in India’s Assam state and 76 kilometers northeast of Guwahati. Due to Sylhet’s proximity to the epicenter, the shaking was strongly felt in the city and surrounding areas, including Zindabazar, Ambarkhana, Tilaghar, Shah Paran, South Surma, Jaintapur, and Companiganj. Local residents reported the tremor but no immediate damage or casualties were confirmed.

Authorities and monitoring agencies have not reported any significant structural impact, and no emergency alerts were issued following the event.

Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Chairman Jalal Ahmed stated that consumers cannot be guaranteed to purchase liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at government-fixed prices. He made the remarks on Sunday during a press conference announcing new LPG prices. Ahmed said a meeting was being held at the Secretariat to discuss complaints of distributors charging higher prices, with members of the LPG Association in attendance. BERC will also hold discussions with the association on the issue.

The chairman explained that the commission sets prices based on importers’ total costs, but cannot ensure that consumers will always get LPG at that exact rate. The LPG Association claims it supplies gas at the fixed price. BERC has also spoken with the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection to conduct drives against overpricing, and action will be taken if any company is found guilty of charging extra.

Ahmed added that shipping shortages from the Middle East and difficulties in opening letters of credit (LCs) are affecting imports. He urged companies to increase imports from Singapore and said the government’s higher authorities would intervene if LC complications persist.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Director General AKM Shahidur Rahman stated that there are several legal ways to bring back the main suspects in the murder of Inquilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi, even if they have fled to India. Speaking at a press conference at the RAB Media Center in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar on Sunday, he said RAB will continue its efforts with full force until the two accused, Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh, are arrested.

The RAB chief explained that the shooting occurred on December 12, and between December 12 and 16, eight suspects were arrested and two pistols used in the killing were recovered. However, the two main accused remain at large. He added that RAB is using both technological and manual sources to locate them and that once their location is confirmed, legal procedures will be followed to bring them back to Bangladesh.

Rahman reaffirmed that RAB remains uncompromising in bringing all perpetrators of this high-profile murder to justice and that no one involved will be spared.

A Dhaka court has barred police officer Md. Zakaria Rahman from leaving Bangladesh following a request by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The order was signed on Sunday by Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Sabbir Foyez after hearing the ACC’s petition. The ACC’s assistant director and investigating officer Al-Amin sought the travel ban, citing evidence of suspicious financial transactions between Zakaria and retired Public Service Commission (PSC) driver Syed Abed Ali.

Abed Ali was arrested on July 8, 2024, and remains in custody. On January 5, the ACC filed a case against him under multiple anti-corruption and money laundering laws, alleging over Tk 5 crore in illegal assets and about Tk 45 crore in irregular transactions. Investigators claim Zakaria, a 30th BCS police cadre officer currently posted at Police Headquarters, is linked to a question-leak syndicate and may attempt to flee abroad.

The court imposed the travel restriction to ensure an unhindered investigation until the inquiry is complete, according to the ACC’s submission.

Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal Mohammad Tazul Islam has declared that justice will be served in the enforced disappearance and murder cases involving retired Major General Ziaul Ahsan. Speaking on Sunday after a hearing on the formal charge formation, he said that despite any conspiracies or delays, the prosecution and the state remain determined to ensure justice.

During the hearing at Tribunal-1, Tazul Islam presented three specific charges against Ahsan, accusing him of orchestrating abductions and killings of over a hundred people. The allegations include the 2011 killing of three detainees taken from the RAB headquarters, mass executions in Barguna’s Patharghata area under code names “Gestapo” and “Golf,” and staged “gunfights” in Sundarbans operations that allegedly killed at least 50 people.

Following the prosecution’s submission, the defense requested additional time to respond. The tribunal granted the request and set January 8 as the next hearing date.

A violent clash broke out between police and mobile phone traders in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar area on Sunday afternoon, leaving four people injured. The confrontation began around 2:15 p.m. when police attempted to disperse demonstrators who had blocked the road. Witnesses said traders threw bricks at police, triggering panic in the area and forcing nearby shops to close while traffic came to a halt.

The traders were protesting the introduction of the National Equipment Identity Registrar (NEIR) system and demanding the release of detained colleagues. When police moved to clear the road, both sides engaged in chase and counter-chase. Police used batons, tear gas, water cannons, and sound grenades to disperse the crowd, while protesters continued throwing bricks in retaliation.

Authorities said efforts were underway to bring the situation under control. Members of the Rapid Action Battalion and the army were also deployed alongside police to maintain order in the area.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested three main suspects in connection with the murder of pharmacy owner and mobile financial agent Khokon Das, aged 50, in Shariatpur. Acting on information from RAB-8 and the Intelligence Wing in Dhaka, a RAB-14 team from Kishoreganj Camp, led by ASP Shahjahan, detained the named accused—Sohag, Rabbi, and Palash—from Bajitpur area around 1 a.m. on Saturday night.

According to Shariatpur Superintendent of Police Rownak Jahan, the victim had identified the attackers before his death. On the night of December 31, 2025, Khokon Das was returning home after closing his pharmacy at Keherbhanga Bazar when several assailants attacked him with sharp weapons near Tiloi area, robbing him of cash. When he recognized some attackers, they poured petrol on him and set him on fire. Locals rescued him and took him to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital, from where he was transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he later died.

Police said the arrested suspects were locally known as miscreants and drug users.