The International Crimes Tribunal-1 is scheduled to hold a hearing today on the charge framing against retired Major General Ziaul Ahsan in a case involving crimes against humanity. The three-member tribunal, chaired by Justice Golam Mortuza Majumder with members Justice Shafiul Alam Mahmud and retired judge Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury, will hear the prosecution’s submission. Ziaul Ahsan was produced before the tribunal on December 23, after which he was shown arrested and sent to jail pending the hearing.

The prosecution had filed formal charges against Ziaul Ahsan on December 17, accusing him of involvement in enforced disappearances and killings. The tribunal issued a production warrant and accepted the charges for hearing. The case includes three specific allegations: the killing of detainees taken from the RAB headquarters in 2011, executions in Barguna’s coastal areas under a code-named operation, and staged “gunfights” in the Sundarbans under operations such as Nishankhali, Mora Bhola, and Kotka. The prosecution claims at least 100 people were killed in these incidents.

Ziaul Ahsan, a former director general of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre, was arrested in Dhaka’s Khilkhet area after August 5 last year and remains in custody.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) announced that it registered 131,000 previously unregistered businesses for Value Added Tax (VAT) during a special campaign conducted across Bangladesh in December. According to an NBR press release issued on Saturday, the campaign was carried out by 12 VAT commissionerates, which worked daily, including holidays, to identify and register new entities. Before the interim government took office, the number of VAT-registered businesses stood at 516,000, which has now risen to 775,000.

NBR’s public relations officer Md. Al Amin Sheikh said the campaign coincided with VAT Day on December 10 and VAT Week from December 10 to 15, followed by a special registration drive from December 10 to 31. He noted that VAT contributes the largest share of total revenue, accounting for 38 percent last year. To expand the VAT base, the government has amended the VAT law, lowering the annual turnover threshold for mandatory registration from 30 million to 5 million taka.

NBR has also introduced measures to simplify VAT registration and payment, including online submission of VAT returns and automated refunds directly to bank accounts.

A mild cold wave has swept across Kurigram district, located near the Himalayas, severely disrupting daily life. The district recorded a minimum temperature of 10 degrees Celsius with 99 percent humidity on January 3, according to the local agricultural meteorological office. Dense fog and cold winds have reduced visibility, halting agricultural work, slowing long-distance transport, and causing frequent accidents. Boat passengers in riverine areas have faced severe hardship as fog causes boats to lose direction.

Kurigram, home to about 2.5 million people, has a poverty rate of 71 percent. Many low-income residents are struggling to buy warm clothes, relying instead on cheap roadside garments. The Civil Surgeon’s Office reported that in December alone, 1,400 people were hospitalized with diarrhea and about 3,000 with fever, cold, and pneumonia, mostly children and the elderly. Authorities have advised special care for vulnerable groups.

District relief officials said 27,000 blankets have been distributed and each of the nine upazilas received six lakh taka in aid. The cold wave is expected to intensify in the coming days.

Bangladesh’s Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder said on Sunday that rice prices are not expected to increase this year, citing the country’s highest-ever food grain reserves. Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat, he explained that last year’s price hike was driven by government formation and natural disasters, but current stock levels are strong enough to stabilize the market.

According to Majumder, government warehouses currently hold 2,027,420 metric tons of food grains, with the capacity to increase reserves by another 2.4 million tons. He noted that this year’s stock is the highest in the past five years. The adviser emphasized that maintaining a smooth supply chain will be key to keeping rice prices steady.

Majumder also confirmed that rice imports from India remain normal and that no political issues are affecting the trade flow.

A local leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Alamgir Hossain, aged 50, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Jessore on Saturday night. The attack occurred around 7:30 p.m. in front of Nayan Commissioner’s office in the Shankarpur area of Jessore town. Alamgir, son of Intaj Chowdhury, served as the joint general secretary of the BNP’s Ward No. 7 unit under Jessore Municipality.

According to his elder brother Jahangir Hossain, Alamgir was chatting near the office when unknown attackers shot him on the left side of his head and fled the scene. Locals rushed him to Jessore General Hospital, where emergency department physician Bichitra Mallik confirmed that he had sustained a gunshot wound to the head.

Inspector Muminul Haque of Jessore Kotwali Police Station said police had visited the scene to gather information and were working to identify and apprehend the perpetrators.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. According to Bondi, the charges against Maduro include narcoterrorism, cocaine importation, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess such devices against the United States. She stated that the couple will soon face American justice in a US court, though she did not specify the charges against Maduro’s wife.

Bondi expressed gratitude to the US military, crediting them for conducting what she described as an incredible and highly successful operation to capture the two accused international drug traffickers. The announcement was reported by BBC and repeated across multiple statements in the source.

The indictment marks a significant legal escalation against Venezuela’s leadership, though details about the timing of court proceedings or the specific evidence presented were not disclosed in the report.

An allegation has surfaced against Jhenaidah District Jail Superintendent Mohammad Habibur Rahman for illegally selling a government motorcycle under the guise of an auction. The incident reportedly took place after an official auction was announced on December 29, 2025, for an old Hero Honda motorcycle used by prison guards. On December 30, three local residents participated in the auction after depositing the required security money. Despite the highest bid reaching 7,500 taka, the jail superintendent refused to sell and declared the auction postponed.

According to the complaint, only two hours after the postponement, a man named Sona Mia, who had not participated in the auction, was caught by locals while taking away the motorcycle, claiming to have bought it for 20,000 taka. The event caused widespread discussion in the district after a video of the incident spread on social media. Later, the jail superintendent reportedly retrieved the motorcycle from Sona Mia and brought it back to the prison office.

When contacted, Superintendent Habibur Rahman denied the sale, stating the motorcycle had been sent for repair. The prison accounts assistant, however, acknowledged the sale outside the auction process and advised contacting the superintendent for clarification.

Police in Ramu, Cox’s Bazar, arrested a suspected drug dealer with 1,800 yaba tablets during a separate operation on Friday. The arrest took place at a checkpoint on the Ukhiya-connection regional highway, east of Kathir Matha Bridge in South Mithachhari Union. The detainee was identified as Nurul Amin, aged 40, son of the late Surut Alam, and a resident of Ward No. 7 in Hwaikyang Union, Teknaf upazila.

Following the seizure, a case was filed under the Narcotics Control Act at Ramu Police Station. Authorities stated that the arrested individual would be presented before the court after completion of legal procedures.

The operation reflects ongoing law enforcement efforts in Cox’s Bazar to curb drug trafficking activities, particularly involving yaba tablets, which remain a major concern in the region.

Fatima Tasnim Juma, spokesperson of the Dhaka University branch of Inquilab Moncho, alleged that Faisal was released on bail specifically to carry out the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi. She made the claim in a Facebook post on Saturday, questioning who in the government had influenced the bail decision, which judge granted it, and which lawyer handled the process. She also mentioned that a man named Kabir, who was arrested earlier, had been with Faisal during an initial attempt at a center and might also hold key information.

According to the report, Osman Hadi was shot in the head by assailants on December 12 on Box Culvert Road in Purana Paltan, Dhaka, a day after the announcement of the 13th national election and referendum schedule. He was treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later at Evercare Hospital before being flown to Singapore for advanced care, where he died on December 18. His body was brought back to Bangladesh on December 19, and a large funeral was held the next day at the South Plaza of the National Parliament Building before burial at the National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam’s mausoleum grounds.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Mohammad Sajjat Ali stated that the video message of Faisal, the prime accused in the murder case of Inquilab Mancha spokesperson Shahid Sharif Osman Hadi, is currently being examined. He made the remark on Saturday, January 3, during the A4 Bashundhara Paper Crab Best Reporting Award 2025 event at the Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium. When asked about the video, the commissioner said he would comment only after the examination is complete.

Responding to questions about election-related security, the DMP Commissioner said that security is being provided to candidates based on verified threats assessed by the Special Branch (SB). He noted that several individuals, including election commissioners, have been assigned gunmen for protection. Ali emphasized that resource limitations require balancing between personal security assignments and maintaining security at polling centers.

He added that as a developing country with limited police resources, election security remains the top priority. The DMP is trying to allocate manpower efficiently to ensure both candidate safety and the protection of polling stations during the election period.

Turkey’s security forces arrested 85 suspected members of the militant group ISIS during separate anti-terror operations across the country’s eastern regions on Friday. The arrests took place in multiple provinces, including Şanlıurfa, Ağrı, and Istanbul, as part of a coordinated effort to dismantle ISIS-linked networks.

In Şanlıurfa, eight suspects were detained for allegedly posting content on social media praising ISIS. In Ağrı province, police arrested ten individuals accused of having ties to the group and seized banned books and digital materials. Istanbul’s chief public prosecutor’s office detained 67 more suspects. Authorities also transferred 32 individuals to repatriation centers after determining they posed a threat to national security. One alleged leader was identified for conducting illegal classes and recruiting supporters.

The operations followed a December 29 terrorist attack that killed three police officers, prompting Turkey to intensify its counterterrorism measures nationwide.

A man named Abdus Salam, aged 35 and a tube-well mechanic by profession, was killed in a wild elephant attack in Baishari Union of Naikhongchhari upazila, Bandarban. The incident occurred around 6:45 a.m. on Saturday at Titarpara Galasira area along the Alikhyong road. According to local accounts, Salam approached the elephant to take a photograph as it crossed the road near his house. The animal became agitated by barking dogs nearby and suddenly charged at him, trampling him to death on the spot.

Salam was the sole breadwinner of his family, supporting three young children and his physically disabled father, Abdus Sattar. Following the incident, the in-charge of Baishari Police Investigation Center, Inspector Md. Anwarul Islam, visited the scene and prepared an inquest report. The tragic death has cast a pall of grief over the entire area.

The report highlights the severe impact on Salam’s family, now facing deep uncertainty after losing their only source of income.

A video from Uttar Pradesh’s Kaushambi police station has gone viral showing Station House Officer Ajay Sharma pressing a smartphone against a resident’s back and claiming to determine whether the person is Indian or Bangladeshi. The incident, which took place in a slum area, has triggered widespread criticism after being shared on social media. The video shows police accusing a family of being Bangladeshi despite their insistence and presentation of documents proving they are from Bihar’s Araria district.

The controversy comes amid repeated warnings from India’s Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi about identifying illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Following the uproar, Ghaziabad police ordered a high-level investigation into the authenticity of the video and the conduct of the officers involved. The inquiry has been assigned to the Assistant Commissioner of Police of Indirapuram Circle.

Police sources said such operations are usually conducted to maintain public safety in sensitive areas, but the unusual method and alleged harassment have drawn sharp public scrutiny.

Police in Shahrashti upazila of Chandpur recovered two pistols stolen from Dhaka’s Khilkhet police station, along with ammunition and police equipment, during a raid on Friday night. Acting on a secret tip-off, law enforcement searched the home of Alomgir Hossain in Paschim Uplata village around 8:15 p.m. and seized the weapons. The recovered items included a Taras pistol, a China-made pistol, four magazines, 30 rounds of bullets, police uniforms, belts, glasses, a body camera, and a gas mask. Alomgir’s wife, Lovely Begum, 38, and son, Foysal Hossain, 21, were detained.

According to police, Lovely Begum admitted during questioning that the seized weapons were among those looted from a police station on August 5, 2024. Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Ops) Md Lutfor Rahman said the operation was led by Assistant Superintendent Md A. Hai and Officer-in-Charge Mir Mahbubur Rahman after receiving intelligence about the stolen arms linked to the anti-discrimination movement.

Police said a case is being prepared in connection with the recovery and arrests.

Two men were killed late Friday night in Barishal city when a speeding truck ran over their motorcycle on the Barishal-Jhalakathi inter-district highway near Rupatali Ukilbari. The victims were identified as Jewel, 28, of Rupatali, and Russell, 25, of Ruiyar Pol. Kotwali Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mamun-ul Islam confirmed the incident.

According to police, the two victims worked as helpers at the ACI Animal Health store. After finishing work around midnight, they were heading to the Rupatali bus terminal for a meal when a goods-laden truck (registration number Kushtia-T 11-2545) coming from the opposite direction hit them. Russell died on the spot, while Jewel succumbed to his injuries before reaching the hospital.

The report did not mention whether the truck driver was detained or if any legal action had been initiated following the accident.