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.

Bangladesh and Japan have signed the Bangladesh-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, under which Bangladeshi ready-made garments will receive duty-free access to the Japanese market. The announcement was made by Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam at a press conference held on Thursday, January 22, at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka. He described the agreement as a landmark step for Bangladesh’s trade relations.

According to the press secretary, the agreement will allow 7,379 Bangladeshi products to enter Japan duty-free, while Japan will gain immediate tariff-free access for 1,039 of its products in Bangladesh. He emphasized that this is the first time Bangladesh, as a least developed country, has signed such an agreement with the world’s fourth-largest economy. The deal is expected to open new opportunities for Bangladesh’s trade with other countries as well.

The press secretary highlighted that the biggest benefit for Bangladesh will be the duty-free entry of its largest export sector, the ready-made garment industry, into the Japanese market.

Afghan business representatives and leading Bangladeshi pharmaceutical manufacturers have reached a direct agreement to import medicines from Bangladesh to Afghanistan. The understanding was finalized during a visit to Dhaka by a delegation led by Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Commerce and Industry, Maulvi Ahmadullah Zahid. According to a statement from the Afghan ministry, the delegation visited two major Bangladeshi drug producers, Beximco Pharmaceuticals Limited and Renata PLC.

The statement described these companies as among Bangladesh’s top pharmaceutical exporters, currently supplying medicines to around 50 countries. During the visit, Deputy Minister Zahid invited Bangladeshi investors to establish pharmaceutical production facilities in Afghanistan, asserting that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan fully supports industrial and manufacturing sectors and ensures all necessary facilities for investment.

Additionally, Dr. Naimullah Ayubi, Director General of the Department of Medicine and Health Product Regulation under Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health, said Bangladeshi manufacturers would receive full cooperation under existing policies. The agreement marks a step toward strengthening bilateral trade in pharmaceuticals between the two countries.

Israeli media reported that the country’s once-profitable agricultural export industry is facing a severe crisis as international opposition to Israel’s ongoing military actions in Gaza begins to affect trade. Orders for Israeli lemons and mangoes from Europe and Asia have nearly stopped, leaving farmers fearing a total collapse of this key economic sector. Some farmers, including orchard managers and former military officials, said they are operating at a loss since the war began.

According to reports from Kan 11 and Middle East Monitor, many farmers acknowledge that the main reason for the export decline is global outrage over Israel’s actions in Gaza, despite citing supply disruptions and Red Sea blockades. Some farmers have refused to sell produce to Gaza’s Palestinian market, even at the cost of heavy financial losses, citing ideological opposition to Hamas. The Citrus Growers Organization confirmed that no containers have been exported since the war started.

The crisis has left hundreds of tons of fruit rotting in northern Israel and forced producers to rely on local markets. Analysts noted that this agricultural decline reflects a broader economic downturn, with Israel’s overall economic activity dropping 26 percent in late 2023.

A massive winter storm named 'Winter Storm Fern' is forecast to strike large parts of the United States this week, potentially affecting around 170 million people with heavy snowfall, power outages, and travel disruptions. The storm is expected to stretch from Texas through the Mid-Atlantic to the northeastern states, bringing freezing air that could push temperatures far below zero in several regions.

Cities including Memphis, Nashville, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York may be blanketed in snow, with some areas possibly experiencing temperatures as low as 40 degrees Celsius below freezing. The Rocky Mountain states are expected to see significant snowfall by Friday, with meteorologists predicting accumulations exceeding 12 inches in some locations. Virginia and Maryland are projected to be among the hardest-hit states.

Emergency declarations have already been issued in several states, including Texas, North Carolina, and South Carolina, as authorities prepare for the storm’s severe impact.

Archaeologists have identified a red hand stencil on a cave wall in Indonesia as the world’s oldest known cave painting. The discovery, published in the journal Nature, was made by Indonesian and Australian researchers who determined the artwork to be at least 67,800 years old. The team, led by Indonesia’s Adhi Agus Oktaviana and Australia’s Maxime Aubert, conducted fieldwork on Muna Island in Sulawesi province, using uranium-thorium dating on small limestone deposits known as “cave popcorn.”

The study found that the handprints were created by blowing pigment over hands pressed against the cave wall, leaving a clear silhouette. The painting predates similar Neanderthal-associated hand stencils in Spain by about a thousand years, though the Spanish dating remains disputed. Researchers also discovered that the caves were reused for painting over tens of thousands of years, with newer images drawn atop older ones.

According to the study, the finding provides new insight into how early Homo sapiens reached Australia, supporting theories that modern humans were present in Indonesian islands around 65,000 years ago and possibly linked to the ancestors of Indigenous Australians.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) suspended the restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Japan’s Niigata Prefecture just hours after operations began late Wednesday. The company confirmed Thursday that the reactor remains stable and poses no radioactive risk. The restart followed final approval from Japan’s nuclear regulator, marking the first TEPCO-operated plant to resume since the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

TEPCO spokesperson Takashi Kobayashi said an alarm in the monitoring system triggered the precautionary shutdown, and the cause is under investigation. Earlier in the week, the restart had already been delayed due to a technical fault that TEPCO claims has since been resolved. Only one of the plant’s seven reactors was being restarted.

Local opposition remains strong, with about 60 percent of Niigata residents reportedly against the restart. Seven civic groups recently submitted a petition with around 40,000 signatures to TEPCO and regulators, citing earthquake risks and past damage to the facility. Japan is seeking to reduce energy imports and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 through renewed use of nuclear power.

A large-scale forest destruction is reportedly taking place in the Inani Range of Ukhia under the Cox’s Bazar South Forest Division. Local sources allege that forest officials, in collaboration with a land-grabbing syndicate, are involved in illegal hill cutting, tree felling, and forest land sales. The syndicate, allegedly led by Range Officer Firoz Al-Amin, has been active for three years, while higher authorities remain silent despite being aware of the situation.

Reports indicate that in areas such as Monkhali, Rajapalong, Jaliapalong, and Choyankhali, trees are being cut and sold, hills leveled, and new houses built on forest land. At least four workers have died during hill cutting, and two elephants have been killed due to deforestation. Locals claim that officials are profiting from illegal land sales and construction, while some officers remain inactive despite witnessing irregularities.

Range Officer Firoz Al-Amin denied direct involvement, stating that minor irregularities occurred alongside development work. The divisional forest officer Abdullah Al-Mamun said an investigation would be launched, and action taken if evidence of involvement is found.

Electricity generation at the first unit of the Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant in Parbatipur, Dinajpur resumed at 9:03 p.m. on Wednesday after a three-day shutdown. The plant’s chief engineer, Md. Abu Bakkar Siddique, confirmed that production had been halted on January 18 at 11:15 a.m. due to a boiler tube rupture. Following repairs, firing began at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, and the unit returned to production later that night.

According to plant sources, Barapukuria has three units: the first and second units each have a capacity of 125 megawatts, while the third unit has a capacity of 275 megawatts. The second unit has remained closed since November 2020 due to mechanical issues, and the third unit has been offline since October 16 of last year. The first unit has faced repeated shutdowns in recent months, including four stoppages in the past two months.

The chief engineer stated that the first unit will now produce an average of 50 to 60 megawatts daily, requiring 700 to 800 metric tons of coal per day. Repair work on the 275-megawatt third unit is ongoing and is expected to be completed by mid-March if conditions remain stable.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has announced a temporary suspension of its Dhaka-Sylhet-Manchester route, effective from March 1, 2026. The airline cited fleet shortages, operational pressure, and economic inefficiency as the main reasons behind the decision. According to a press release issued on Thursday, the Manchester route is currently not profitable, and the long-haul flights occupy aircraft for several days, creating additional strain on fleet management.

The airline explained that during the Hajj season, it must operate extra flights to transport large numbers of passengers within a limited time, requiring adjustments to other routes. Due to high demand on Middle Eastern routes, particularly from expatriate workers and Umrah travelers, Biman decided to allocate its limited wide-body Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft to more viable destinations. Routine maintenance, engine overhauls, and a global crew shortage have further intensified operational challenges.

To ease passenger inconvenience, Biman has increased London route frequency to five flights per week and offered ticket refunds or rerouting via London without extra charges. The airline stated that new aircraft procurement and crew recruitment are underway, and the Manchester route may resume once capacity improves.

Two people were killed across Greece on Wednesday as heavy rain and strong winds swept through the country, causing widespread flooding and transport disruptions. According to Maritime Affairs Minister Vassilis Kikilias, a coastguard officer died after being struck by waves while on duty in the coastal town of Astros in eastern Peloponnese. In another incident, a woman was killed in the Athens suburb of Glyfada when her car was swept away by floodwaters. Authorities suspended ferry services and closed several roads due to the severe weather.

Wind speeds exceeded 100 kilometers per hour, prompting school closures in Athens and parts of western and southern Greece. Meteorologists reported that some areas of the capital received six weeks’ worth of rainfall in a single day. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis postponed his planned trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, due to the situation.

Experts have repeatedly warned that deadly floods in recent years have been worsened by rapid urbanization and blocked waterways, urging infrastructure improvements, particularly in the greater Athens region.

Pakistan’s state-owned Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) has announced the discovery of new oil and natural gas reserves in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. According to a notice filed with the Pakistan Stock Exchange, production has begun from the exploratory well ‘Baragzai X-01’ in Kohat district, yielding approximately 3,100 barrels of crude oil and 8.15 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. Two other wells in the same area are already producing oil and gas.

OGDCL stated that the new discovery will help narrow the gap between domestic energy demand and supply while boosting Pakistan’s hydrocarbon reserves. With the addition of the new output, the Baragzai fields are now producing about 9,480 barrels of oil daily, accounting for roughly 14.5 percent of the country’s total crude oil production. Pakistan currently produces around 66,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

The announcement comes as Pakistan intensifies efforts to expand domestic oil and gas production and reduce dependence on costly imports amid ongoing economic challenges. Last year, the government signed five exploration agreements with local and international companies for three offshore and two onshore blocks.

Bangladesh Bank has proposed a new rule limiting bank directors to a maximum of three consecutive months of leave per year, as part of the draft Bank Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2025. The proposal aims to strengthen governance after reports that many directors remained absent for extended periods while retaining their positions. The draft has been published by the Financial Institutions Division of the Ministry of Finance for stakeholder feedback, and a meeting chaired by Secretary Nazma Mobarek was recently held to discuss it.

The draft also includes a proposal to restrict individuals, families, or institutions from holding significant shares in multiple banks simultaneously. Under the proposed rule, anyone holding 2% or more of a bank’s shares cannot hold 2% or more in another bank. The Association of Bankers, Bangladesh (ABB) has opposed this shareholding restriction, arguing that general shareholders do not directly influence bank policy decisions. However, Bangladesh Bank officials maintain that the measure is necessary to prevent excessive control by business groups that have previously harmed the sector.

If enacted, the new law would automatically cancel the position of any director absent from board meetings beyond the permitted period, ensuring stricter accountability in bank governance.

A severe shortage of lighter vessels has caused a major operational crisis at Chattogram port, where more than 85 mother vessels carrying over 300,000 tons of goods are stranded at the outer anchorage. Importers are reportedly paying daily waiting charges of 12,000 to 15,000 dollars per vessel, which is expected to impact consumer prices. Business groups fear the situation could worsen ahead of Ramadan.

Officials said large ships cannot dock directly at the port due to insufficient draft, requiring goods to be unloaded onto smaller lighter vessels for inland transport. Although about 1,500 lighter vessels exist on paper, fewer than 1,000 are active. Around 40 percent of vessels are currently stuck elsewhere, many being used as floating warehouses by fertilizer importers and industrial groups. The Bangladesh Water Transport Coordination Cell (BWTCC) has been unable to meet demand for over a month, intensifying the congestion.

Port authorities have launched enforcement drives against vessels idling for more than 72 hours, while business leaders call for coordinated action among port, transport, and vessel owners to resolve the crisis and prevent further disruption to essential commodity supply.

Bangladesh Bank has decided to provide a 4 percent annual profit rate to depositors of five banks currently undergoing a merger process for the years 2024 and 2025. The central bank communicated this decision to the administrators of the five banks through an official letter issued on Wednesday. This move replaces an earlier decision to suspend profit payments for the same period, which had sparked strong dissatisfaction among depositors.

According to a directive from the Bank Regulation Department, the earlier suspension of profit on fixed-term deposits under the Islamic Bank Company formation and expansion regulations has been reconsidered. The revision came following appeals from depositors and to maintain normal banking operations. Under the new decision, the 4 percent profit rate will apply to personal (non-institutional) deposits from January 1, 2024, to December 28, 2025.

Banks have been instructed to recalculate deposit balances as of the last working day of 2025 and submit revised statements to the central bank within three working days. If any depositor has already received a higher profit, the excess will be adjusted against future earnings, while previous instructions remain valid for deposits not covered by the new decision.