Police in Lakshmipur have arrested Md. Rubel, 41, the elder brother of Abdul Aziz Hakim, general secretary of the Sadar Upazila Chhatra League, for setting fire to the district election office under a 10,000 taka contract. The arrest was announced by Superintendent of Police Md. Abu Tarek during a press briefing on Friday, December 26, 2025. Rubel, a resident of Ward 10 in Lakshmipur Municipality, allegedly carried out the arson on instructions from Shimul Chakraborty, the late MP Shahajahan Kamal’s APS.

According to police, Rubel received 2,000 taka before the incident and was paid the remaining 8,000 taka afterward. When presented before court, Rubel confessed to setting the fire and was subsequently sent to jail. The arson occurred on the night of December 12, when a masked man was seen on CCTV footage igniting the election office. Investigators later identified Rubel and arrested him from his home through a special operation by the detective branch.

Authorities have not yet disclosed further details about the motive or whether additional suspects are being investigated.

A severe cold wave has gripped Bhurungamari in Kurigram, where residents have endured four consecutive sunless days. The temperature dropped to 11.4°C on Friday morning, December 26, according to the Rajarhat Agricultural Meteorological Office. Dense fog has blanketed the area from evening until noon, forcing vehicles to use headlights during the day. The biting cold has particularly affected children, the elderly, and low-income workers, many of whom are struggling to continue their daily activities.

Local residents have been lighting fires to stay warm, while demand for second-hand clothing has surged. Auto-rickshaw drivers reported reduced income due to poor visibility and fewer passengers. Relief efforts are underway, but supplies remain insufficient. The Upazila Project Implementation Officer said Tk 600,000 was allocated by the Ministry of Disaster Management, with 1,300 blankets distributed across ten unions and 600 more received from the district.

Officials warned that temperatures could fall further until December 31, with the cold wave expected to persist, heightening hardship for vulnerable communities in the region.

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has removed a total of 148 tons of waste from the 300 Feet area in the capital, where a reception was held for BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s homecoming. The cleanup operation began on Friday morning following instructions from DNCC Administrator Mohammad Ejaz, who had directed officials the previous night to ensure swift waste removal.

A special cleaning drive was conducted with the participation of 350 DNCC sanitation workers. Using 20 trucks, the collected waste was transported in 148 trips to the Aminbazar landfill for safe disposal. By noon, the entire venue was cleared and made accessible for public movement. Some local BNP leaders and activists voluntarily joined DNCC workers in the cleanup effort from 10 a.m.

Administrator Mohammad Ejaz thanked all participants, emphasizing that collective involvement of citizens and political activists after large gatherings can make the city cleaner and more livable, while easing the delivery of civic services.

Four passengers were killed and at least fifteen others injured when two passenger launches collided in dense fog on the Meghna River near Chandpur’s Haimchar area early Thursday, December 25. The accident occurred around 2 a.m. near Banglabazar in Nilkomol Union, involving the Bhola-to-Dhaka bound MV Zakir Samrat-3 and the Dhaka-to-Barishal bound MV Adventure-9. Witnesses said heavy fog blanketed the river, causing the Adventure-9 to lose direction and crash into the Zakir Samrat-3, which was severely damaged and left partially submerged. Another vessel, MV Karnaphuli-9, rescued many passengers and continued toward Dhaka.

Chandpur River Police Assistant Superintendent Imtiaz Ahmed confirmed four fatalities, all passengers of the Zakir Samrat-3. Police later seized the Adventure-9 when it reached Jhalakathi via Barishal. The Chandpur River Police Officer-in-Charge said both launches left the scene before authorities arrived. BIWTA officials suggested dense fog was the likely cause of the collision.

A government naval adviser was expected to inspect the damaged launch at Sadarghat following the incident, as authorities began investigating the cause and safety lapses.

Bangladesh and Thailand have signed a bilateral memorandum of understanding to facilitate the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers in Thailand. The agreement was signed on Friday, December 26, at the office of Thailand’s Labour Minister Trinuch Thienthong. During the signing ceremony, Minister Thienthong expressed optimism that the recruitment process could begin soon under the new arrangement, noting Thailand’s need to address its existing labor shortages through foreign worker recruitment.

Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Thailand, Faiyaz Murshid Kazi, assured that workers would be sent through a safe, orderly, and regular process. He also invited Thai authorities to visit Bangladesh to gain firsthand understanding of the country’s labor migration systems and procedures. Minister Thienthong instructed her senior colleagues to advance discussions on implementing the memorandum and emphasized the importance of swift action to meet labor market demands.

Ambassador Kazi briefed the Thai minister on ongoing discussions with Thai business communities and reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to following best practices similar to other major labor markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) recovered 24 electric detonators from the Charagaon border area in Sunamganj’s Tahirpur upazila on Friday morning, acting on a tip-off. The explosives were found wrapped in polythene at Maizhati, near the border, around 8 a.m. According to BGB officials, the recovered items are capable of being used to make high-powered improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Lieutenant Colonel AKM Zakaria Kadir, commander of the 28 BGB Battalion in Sunamganj, stated that the operation was based on secret intelligence. He said the detonators were likely smuggled into Bangladesh with the intention of destabilizing the country’s current situation and carrying out acts of sabotage.

Authorities suspect the explosives were imported illegally through border smuggling networks. The recovery highlights ongoing security challenges along the Sunamganj frontier and the vigilance of border forces in preventing potential threats.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) 42 Dinajpur Battalion conducted a special anti-smuggling operation late on December 25 and recovered a large quantity of banned Indian Tapentadol tablets from the Pirganj border area in Thakurgaon district. According to a BGB press release, the tablets were found abandoned about 500 yards inside Bangladesh near border pillar 340/3-S in Guchhagram area. The seized consignment contained 198 pieces of the narcotic tablets, valued at 59,400 taka. Legal proceedings regarding the recovered drugs and the absconding individuals are underway.

Lieutenant Colonel Abdullah Al Moin Hasan, commanding officer of the 42 Dinajpur Battalion, stated that legal action is in process concerning the seized narcotics. He added that intelligence efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend the drug traffickers who fled the scene.

The BGB emphasized that the operation was based on specific intelligence information and forms part of its ongoing campaign to curb cross-border drug smuggling in northern Bangladesh.

Two separate fires broke out within one night at Rohingya camps in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, destroying a hospital and several homes. The first incident occurred early Friday, December 26, at the D-block of Madhurchhara Camp No. 4, where a hospital was completely burned down along with valuable medical equipment. Firefighters and local residents brought the blaze under control after about two and a half hours. Earlier, around 10 p.m. on Thursday, December 25, another fire erupted about four kilometers away in the B-block of Kutupalong registered camp, burning five houses. No casualties were reported in either incident.

The destroyed hospital, known as ‘Obat Health Post,’ was established in 2017 by the charity Obat Helpers USA to serve newly displaced Rohingya refugees. It was being operated with support from Human International USA and the Bangladesh camp administration. Local residents and health officials expressed deep concern over the loss, noting that the facility provided free medical care to both Rohingya and nearby communities.

Authorities said the cause of the fires remains under investigation. Security forces remain on alert, and officials have pledged to rehabilitate the damaged health center and assist affected residents.

More than a thousand passengers narrowly escaped a major accident when the passenger launch Imam Hasan-5 collided with a stationary sand-laden bulkhead on the Meghna River at Mohonpur in Matlab Uttar upazila of Chandpur late Thursday night. The collision occurred amid dense fog that severely reduced visibility. Passengers panicked at the loud impact but quickly evacuated to nearby riverbanks for safety. Mohonpur River Police responded promptly, conducting rescue and relief operations at the site.

Eyewitnesses said the launch was moving slowly toward Chandpur due to the thick fog, and limited visibility made it difficult to determine the route, leading to the collision. After the impact, the vessel was anchored near the shore, and all passengers were disembarked safely. Sub-Inspector Abul Kalam of Mohonpur River Police confirmed that no casualties were reported. Passengers were later transported to their destinations by another launch, speedboats, and road transport.

Officials noted that heavy fog during winter nights has increased navigational risks on the Meghna River and urged vessel operators to exercise greater caution to prevent similar incidents.

Two people were killed when two passenger launches, Zakir Samrat-3 and Adventure-9, collided on the Meghna River near Harina in Chandpur Sadar early Thursday night. The accident occurred around 2 a.m. amid dense fog that reduced visibility on the river.

According to Chandpur BIWTA Deputy Director (Traffic) Babu Lal Baidya, the collision happened due to heavy fog in the area. Several others were reported injured, though the exact number of casualties was not confirmed. Authorities said the identities of the deceased could not be determined because the destinations of the two vessels were not identified.

Officials are continuing efforts to gather more details about the victims and the circumstances of the collision as investigations proceed.

Chuadanga district is experiencing an intensifying cold wave, with temperatures falling below 10 degrees Celsius. On Friday morning, the Chuadanga First-Class Weather Observatory recorded 9.7°C at 6 a.m. and 9.6°C at 9 a.m., with humidity at 95 percent. The temperature dropped nearly 2 degrees in just one day compared to Thursday’s 11.4°C. The cold, driven by northern winds, has severely affected daily life across the border district.

Local residents reported worsening hardship as the cold persists. Pedestrians and rickshaw pullers said people are avoiding going out in the mornings, leaving day laborers without work and transport workers without passengers. Children and the elderly are most at risk from the cold, while many rural residents are resorting to lighting fires due to a lack of warm clothing.

Weather observers forecast further temperature decline, and local residents have urged authorities to provide urgent assistance and distribute winter clothing to those in need.

A case has been filed at Bogura Sadar Police Station accusing 273 individuals, including former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, over an alleged attack on an anti-discrimination student rally. The case, numbered 66, was recorded on December 24, 2025, following a court filing on December 23. The plaintiff, Mohammad Alif, son of Nur Hossain Mondal from Brindaban Paschim Para, lodged the complaint on Wednesday night. Among the accused, 173 are named while 100 remain unidentified.

The first accused is former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, followed by former Bogura-6 MP and Awami League leader Ragebul Ahsan (Ripu) as the second accused. Former Bogura-5 MP Mojibur Rahman Majnu, Habibur Rahman Habib, and several leaders and activists from Awami League, Jubo League, Swechchhasebak League, and Chhatra League are also listed.

According to the case statement, Alif was seriously injured by gunfire allegedly from the accused during the rally at Kathaltala area on August 4, 2024. After recovering from his injuries, he proceeded to file the case.

Rakib, joint convener of the Raipur Government College unit of the student organization Chhatra Dal, died after being electrocuted in Lakshmipur’s Raipur upazila on Thursday evening. The accident occurred around 5 p.m. in Ward No. 2 of Charbanshi Union when he came into contact with electricity while preparing hot water at his home poultry farm. Family members and locals rushed him to the emergency department of Raipur Upazila Health Complex, where duty doctor Sohel Rana declared him dead.

His sudden death has cast a pall of grief over the area. Family members are mourning his loss, and members of Raipur Government College Chhatra Dal and local political circles have expressed deep sorrow and condolences. Leaders described Rakib as an active and dedicated organizer whose death is an irreparable loss to the organization.

The incident has drawn widespread sympathy in the community, highlighting the risks of household electrical accidents in rural areas.

Ferry operations on the Daulatdia–Paturia route, a key waterway connecting Rajbari’s Daulatdia and Manikganj’s Paturia, resumed on Friday morning after being suspended for nine and a half hours due to dense fog. According to the report, services were restored around 9:30 a.m. on December 26, 2025, once visibility improved on the Padma River.

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) temporarily halted all ferry and vessel movement from midnight on Saturday when thick fog severely reduced visibility across the river basin. BIWTC’s Daulatdia office assistant general manager (commerce) Mohammad Salauddin stated that operations were restarted after the fog cleared and navigation conditions became normal.

The prolonged suspension caused significant traffic congestion at both ferry terminals, leaving trucks, buses, and private cars stranded. With the resumption of ferry movement, the backlog began to ease, bringing relief to drivers, assistants, and passengers waiting at the terminals.

Pakistan’s security forces conducted separate operations in Balochistan’s Kalat district and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district, killing ten militants described as India-backed extremists. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the actions followed intelligence reports about the presence of such groups. During the Dera Ismail Khan operation, two militants, including their leader Dilwar, were killed. Dilwar was on Pakistan’s most-wanted list for involvement in multiple terrorist acts, with a government bounty of four million rupees for his capture.

ISPR stated that weapons and ammunition were recovered from the dead militants, who were allegedly involved in attacks against security forces and civilians. In a separate operation in Kalat, eight militants linked to the group Fitna al Hindustan were killed after an intense exchange of fire. The ISPR claimed these militants acted as Indian proxies in Pakistan. Arms, ammunition, and explosives were seized from the site.

The operations highlight Pakistan’s ongoing counterterrorism efforts in regions affected by militant activity, according to the ISPR statement.