An IT Training and Incubation Center under the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority was inaugurated in Meherpur on Friday. Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant (Consensus) Monir Haidar said the center would be highly effective in developing skilled manpower for the IT sector and open new opportunities for local youth. He urged residents to make the best use of the facility.

Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Posts, Telecommunications and ICT, Fayez Ahmad Tayyeb, stated that the center aims to develop a startup ecosystem. He outlined three main objectives: supporting local entrepreneurs and small IT-based businesses with infrastructure to grow as startups, providing training in freelancing, e-commerce, and ICT skills to create quality employment, and bridging the gap between academia and industry. The center will feature a modern computer lab, startup space, incubation facilities, and a 150-seat auditorium.

All training programs will be verified by the National Skill Development Authority (NSDA) to ensure national and international recognition. The inauguration was attended by officials from government and private institutions, including the Vice-Chancellor of Meherpur University and local dignitaries.

Saudi Arabia has announced that it possesses mineral resources worth about $2.5 trillion, including rare earth elements such as dysprosium, terbium, neodymium, and praseodymium. The declaration came during the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, where officials emphasized the country’s plan to expand its mining sector to reduce dependence on oil and strengthen geopolitical influence. The state-owned mining company Ma’aden also revealed plans to invest $110 billion in metals and mining over the next decade.

According to S&P Global, Saudi Arabia’s mineral exploration budget rose by 595 percent between 2021 and 2025, with faster licensing for domestic and international firms. Experts, however, cautioned that extraction and processing take years, with processing plants requiring three to five years to build, and sometimes more than 20 years. SAFE Minerals Center’s executive director Abigail Hunter noted that China remains far ahead of the United States in this sector due to decades of strategic investment and state-backed projects.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 identifies mining as a key pillar for economic diversification, and experts believe the country’s growing infrastructure could make it a regional hub for mineral processing.

Electricity supply will remain suspended for eleven consecutive hours in multiple areas of Sylhet city on Saturday, January 24, due to transformer repair and transmission line improvement work. The Sylhet Power Development Board’s Sales and Distribution Division 3 announced the outage in a notice signed by its executive engineer. Power will be cut from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. under the 11 kV Police Line and Industry feeders.

The affected areas include the railway station, Kadamtali, Gotatikar, Alampur, the Divisional Commissioner’s office, DIG office, BSCIC industrial area, Bypass Road, South Surma Police Station, Pirijpur, Chandipul, Gaharpur, North East Medical College, Bangabir Road, Baldi, Tetultala, Latipur, Baneshwarpur, Daroga Bari, Lalarchak, Khidirpur, Ahmedpur, Telibazar, Tetli, Atirbari, and Laxmipur, along with nearby localities.

According to the notice, electricity supply will be restored immediately if the maintenance work is completed before the scheduled time.

A landslide triggered by heavy rainfall struck a popular campsite on New Zealand’s North Island, leaving six people, including two teenagers, missing. The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. local time on Thursday near Mount Maunganui on the island’s eastern coast. Rescue operations are underway, with emergency teams using three mechanical excavators to search through mud and debris that buried the site.

Officials warned on Friday that the search could take several days due to the difficult conditions caused by the heavy rain. Witnesses and emergency personnel reported hearing cries for help immediately after the collapse, but no further sounds were heard afterward. Fire and Emergency Assistant National Commander David Guard said debris removal was being carried out slowly and cautiously, describing the area as complex and high-risk.

Authorities confirmed that the search will continue until all missing persons are located. Mount Maunganui is a popular summer destination for hikers and beachgoers, making the disaster particularly concerning for local tourism.

The film 'The Voice of Hind Rajab', based on the killing of a five-year-old Palestinian girl in Gaza, has been nominated for the Best International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards. Directed by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, the movie recounts the true story of Hind Rajab, who was shot dead by Israeli forces in January 2024 while fleeing Gaza City with her family.

According to the report, Hind and her relatives were attacked while trying to escape Israeli bombardment. All passengers in the car, including her cousins and aunt and uncle, were killed. During the incident, Hind contacted Gaza’s Red Crescent volunteers for help. The film incorporates the real audio of her prolonged phone call with rescuers, who tried to comfort her as she remained trapped among her family’s bodies. Two rescuers later sent to save her were also killed by Israeli fire.

Earlier, 'The Voice of Hind Rajab' won the Silver Lion award at the Venice Film Festival, marking international recognition for its portrayal of the Gaza tragedy.

Bangladesh Bank has initiated liquidation proceedings for nine non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) due to severe irregularities and high default rates. Hearings have begun to assess the justification for liquidation. According to central bank sources, if the institutions are closed, the government will refund individual depositors, while institutional and interbank dues will be settled through asset sales. The nine NBFIs include FAS Finance, Bangladesh Industrial Finance Company, Premier Leasing, Fareast Finance, GSP Finance, Prime Finance, Aviva Finance, Peoples Leasing, and International Leasing.

These institutions have default rates between 75 and 98 percent, accounting for 52 percent of total NBFI defaults by the end of 2024. Allegations of large-scale financial misconduct, including embezzlement by former executives, have contributed to their collapse. The total deposits across the nine institutions amount to Tk 15,370 crore, of which Tk 3,493 crore are individual deposits to be repaid by the government.

Governor Ahsan H. Mansur stated that individual depositors will receive their principal amounts before Ramadan in February 2026, without interest. The government has verbally approved around Tk 5,000 crore for repayments, and asset valuation will determine any potential returns for shareholders.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has decided to move all chemical warehouses from the cargo house of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to a safer distance outside the terminal area. The decision follows a devastating fire last year that caused losses worth Tk 900 crore. To implement the relocation, a coordination meeting involving all relevant agencies has been called for January 24.

According to the source, multiple investigation reports submitted after the fire recommended relocating the chemical storage facilities to ensure safety. A CAAB-formed committee reviewed these reports and presented its findings, which were discussed in a meeting chaired by the CAAB chairman on December 4. The committee was instructed to identify two alternative sites for the warehouses and finalize proposals for their development.

Officials said storing hazardous cargo near passenger terminals violates international safety standards and poses risks to flight operations and human lives. The upcoming meeting will evaluate proposed sites based on safety, transport access, and compliance with global standards, aiming to strengthen overall airport safety and prevent future incidents.

The United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health has warned that the world has entered an era of 'global water bankruptcy,' as freshwater reserves are being depleted faster than they can be replenished. The report highlights severe water crises already unfolding in cities such as Tehran and Kabul, as well as in many African and Asian countries where natural disasters have damaged sources of safe drinking water.

According to the report, 75 percent of the global population lives in countries where water is unsafe or severely insecure, and around two billion people reside in regions where groundwater levels have dropped so low that land subsidence is occurring. Researcher Professor Kaveh Madani noted that many human-made water supply systems have already reached post-crisis collapse, with several key systems effectively bankrupt. Climate change, melting glaciers, and extreme weather events are accelerating the problem by reducing water storage and intensifying droughts and floods.

The report warns that billions of people will be affected as the crisis deepens, though it remains unclear when the global water system might fully collapse.

An article by Jony Siddiq, published on January 23, 2026, in Amar Desh, warns against hoarding and creating artificial shortages, describing such acts as severe sins in Islam. The piece highlights that Bangladesh is currently facing an acute gas crisis and abnormal price hikes, leaving ordinary citizens struggling. It accuses dishonest business syndicates of deliberately inflating prices of cylinder and industrial gas by fabricating scarcity, worsening public hardship and industrial production.

The article cites multiple hadiths condemning hoarding, emphasizing that those who stockpile essential goods to manipulate markets are cursed and will face divine punishment. It references Islamic scholars such as Imam Nawawi and Abu Lais, who classify hoarding as prohibited when it causes artificial scarcity or public suffering. The author urges the business community to conduct trade honestly, supply goods at fair prices, and seek divine satisfaction rather than short-term profit.

The piece concludes with a moral appeal for ethical business practices, warning that ill-gotten gains may harm both worldly and spiritual well-being.

The United Arab Emirates has implemented a new Child Digital Safety (CDS) Law that makes it a legal obligation for parents to monitor and control their children's online activities. The law transforms digital safety from a matter of parental advice into a binding legal responsibility. It imposes strict regulations on harmful online content, excessive digital use, and the collection and use of children’s personal data, assigning clear duties to parents, digital platforms, and service providers.

According to the UAE Cybersecurity Council, 72 percent of children aged eight to twelve use smartphones daily, while only 43 percent of parents regularly monitor their children's online behavior. The CDS Law applies not only to UAE-based companies but also to foreign digital platforms that target Emirati child users. It mandates age verification systems, content filtering, parental control software, and restrictions on advertising aimed at minors.

Legal expert Marina El Hachem stated that parents are now legally required to oversee children’s digital activities, prevent inappropriate account access, protect privacy and security, and report harmful or obscene content to authorities. Neglecting a child’s online safety will be treated as a legal violation under the new law.

Banglalink, one of Bangladesh’s leading digital operators, has signed a partnership agreement with Clinicall Limited to expand healthcare services through its MyBL app. The signing took place at Banglalink’s headquarters, Tiger’s Den, with senior officials from both companies present. The collaboration aims to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for millions of users by integrating doctor consultations, medicine delivery, lab tests, and insurance coverage into a single digital platform.

According to Banglalink, this partnership marks a major step toward transforming digital connectivity into everyday solutions for its customers. The initiative reflects the company’s commitment to providing meaningful digital services beyond traditional telecommunications. Clinicall will offer reliable and quality healthcare through affordable subscription plans, enhancing the MyBL app’s role as a one-stop lifestyle platform.

Banglalink stated that this effort aligns with its broader “Digital for All” vision, which includes services such as the Toffee entertainment platform and the AI-based lifestyle package Rise. The company, a subsidiary of Nasdaq-listed VEON Ltd., continues to focus on innovation and inclusive digital empowerment across Bangladesh.

Saudi Arabia has sold a record $20 billion worth of bonds since the start of this year, marking the highest in the kingdom’s history and surpassing China in global debt issuance. According to Bloomberg data, the Saudi government directly raised $11.5 billion, while state-controlled firms such as Saudi Electricity, Saudi Telecom, Saudi National Bank, and Riyad Bank borrowed an additional $8.8 billion. These companies, though government-owned, are listed on the Tadawul stock exchange.

Analysts view the surge in borrowing as a reflection of the country’s Vision 2030 plan, which aims to diversify the oil-dependent economy. The trend indicates that debt pressure is now extending beyond the government to state-owned enterprises. Saudi Arabia became the largest international debt issuer among emerging markets in 2024, a pattern expected to continue through 2026.

Financial Times reported that Saudi banks are increasingly turning to foreign loans. Despite lower oil prices, the kingdom remains relatively stable due to low production costs and substantial foreign currency reserves.

Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC held a meeting of its Board of Directors on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at the Islami Bank Tower in Dhaka. The meeting was chaired by the bank’s Chairman, Professor Dr. M. Zubaidur Rahman.

According to the report, the session was attended by Executive Committee Chairman Mohammad Khurshid Wahab, Audit Committee Chairman Md. Abdus Salam, FCA, FCS, Risk Management Committee Chairman Professor Dr. M. Masud Rahman, Independent Director Md. Abdul Jalil, Managing Director Md. Omar Faruk Khan, and Company Secretary Md. Habibur Rahman. The article did not specify the agenda or outcomes of the meeting.

The report focused on the participation of key board members, highlighting the bank’s continued governance activities through regular board sessions held at its headquarters.

The Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) has announced that all spinning mills across the country will be closed indefinitely from February 1, 2026, if the Ministry of Commerce’s recommendations are not implemented promptly. The announcement was made by BTMA President Shawkat Aziz Russell during an emergency press conference at the association’s Karwan Bazar office in Dhaka. The organization claimed that the textile industry is facing a severe crisis due to the government’s inaction and lack of effective measures.

Russell stated that the sector, which contributes 13 percent to the national GDP, has reached a state of emergency. He warned that if the recommendations are ignored, mill owners will be unable to repay bank loans, potentially triggering a financial crisis and labor unrest. BTMA reported that most mills are operating at only 60 percent capacity, with around 50 large factories already closed.

The Ministry of Commerce has recommended withdrawing bond facilities on yarn imports of 10 to 30 counts to protect local producers. BTMA has demanded a 10 percent incentive on yarn, the imposition of safeguard duties, and urgent policy support to save the textile, RMG, and accessories sectors.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Office reported that the intensity of cold has decreased across the country in the latter half of January 2026. Although the first 14 days of the month saw continuous cold waves, no such conditions have been present in recent days. Meteorologist Afroza Sultana stated on Thursday, January 22, that reduced fog, weaker northwesterly winds, and increased humidity have caused temperatures to rise, making the cold less perceptible.

She explained that with less fog, sunlight is reaching the ground more directly, raising daytime temperatures. The flow of cold and dry air from the northwest has been very weak, preventing the formation of new cold waves. While Dhaka and other regions have experienced milder weather, northern areas still feel colder in the early mornings. Currently, mild cold waves persist in Panchagarh and Kurigram districts.

According to the forecast, widespread cold waves are unlikely for the rest of the month, though isolated mild cold spells may occur in a few places. A brief mild cold wave could return in early February.