The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has issued the Shipping Agent Licensing Regulations 2025, introducing several procedural relaxations. According to a notification released on December 30 and announced on Friday, applicants will no longer need prior approval from the NBR to determine the number of shipping agent licenses per customs station. This change is expected to allow licensing authorities to issue licenses more quickly.

Under the new regulations, applicants are no longer required to take written or oral examinations conducted by the Customs, Excise and VAT Training Academy. Licenses will now be granted within a maximum of 30 working days upon proper submission of required documents. Previously, licenses were valid only for the specific customs station that issued them.

The updated rules now allow license holders to operate their shipping agent businesses at any seaport or river port across Bangladesh, expanding operational flexibility and simplifying the licensing process nationwide.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has received official approval to operate direct flights between Dhaka and Karachi, marking the resumption of air connectivity between Bangladesh and Pakistan. According to Geo News, the authorization will remain valid until March 30, 2026, and may be reviewed later. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Pakistan stated that Biman must strictly follow the approved route and provide detailed flight information to Karachi airport authorities before departure, ensuring operational coordination and safety compliance.

The decision comes amid increasingly close relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh, which have paved the way for restoring direct air services. Currently, travelers between the two countries transit through Dubai or Doha. Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Pakistan, Iqbal Hossain Khan, earlier confirmed that Biman is preparing to operate three weekly flights to Karachi.

Flights are expected to begin by the end of January, potentially strengthening bilateral connectivity and facilitating easier travel between the two nations.

Flight operations at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka were disrupted on Friday due to dense fog, prompting authorities to divert several flights to ensure passenger safety. According to airport sources, nine flights were redirected to alternative airports as visibility dropped sharply in the morning.

Of the diverted flights, four were sent to Chattogram’s Shah Amanat International Airport, four to Kolkata Airport in India, and one to Bangkok Airport in Thailand. The decision was taken as part of standard safety measures during adverse weather conditions.

Authorities later confirmed that flight operations gradually returned to normal as weather conditions improved. With visibility restored, all flights resumed regular takeoff and landing schedules at the Dhaka airport.

The Pay Commission has indicated that it aims to submit its final recommendations for the ninth pay scale to the government by mid-January 2026. According to commission sources, a tentative obligation exists to complete the submission within that period, though the exact date will be confirmed after the next full commission meeting. The report could be submitted earlier if all preparations are completed on time.

Discussions within the commission remain ongoing regarding the number of salary grades and the minimum and maximum pay levels. Members are divided on whether to retain the existing 20-grade structure or reduce it to 16 or 14 grades to address pay disparities. At least two more full meetings are expected before a consensus is reached and the final report is prepared.

The commission is currently analyzing hundreds of proposals and opinions received from various organizations and departments. Officials said that the drafting process is underway, but additional time is needed to ensure the recommendations are realistic and sustainable.

A severe cold wave and dense fog have paralyzed daily life in Bahubal upazila of Habiganj district. The cold weather has particularly affected day laborers, children, and the elderly, while continuous low temperatures have disrupted normal activities. Farmers are struggling to cultivate land, and livestock owners are facing difficulties protecting their animals. The dense fog, lasting from evening until noon, has reduced visibility on roads, forcing vehicles to move under risky conditions. The sun has not been visible for two days, preventing many workers from going to work.

The cold has also led to a rise in cold-related illnesses such as cough, pneumonia, and respiratory problems, especially among children and the elderly. Many patients have been admitted to the upazila health complex over the past week. Poor and homeless people are suffering acutely due to a shortage of warm clothing. Although local voluntary organizations and the upazila administration have begun distributing winter clothes, the assistance remains insufficient compared to the growing need.

Severe cold has disrupted daily life in Chuadanga, where the temperature dropped to 9.0 degrees Celsius on Friday morning, January 2, 2026. After five days without sunshine, residents finally saw the sun, but the cold remained intense. People were seen lighting fires to keep warm, while vehicles moved with headlights on due to fog. Hospitals reported an increase in patients, especially children and the elderly.

According to the Chuadanga Weather Office, the cold wave is being caused by northern winds, dense fog, and cloudy skies. The biting cold has severely affected day laborers and homeless people, forcing many to endure extreme hardship. Streets have become deserted, and poor and low-income families are struggling to find work, leading to worsening living conditions.

Acting officer Jaminnur Rahman of the Chuadanga Weather Office said humidity was 95 percent at 9 a.m. He added that the lowest temperature in the country was recorded in Jessore at 8 degrees Celsius.

Ferry operations on the Daulatdia–Paturia river route, one of Bangladesh’s key transport links, returned to normal on Friday morning after being suspended for about seven and a half hours due to dense fog. The suspension began around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday night when heavy fog over the Padma River severely reduced visibility, prompting authorities to halt all ferry and vessel movement for safety reasons.

According to local sources, the decision was taken to ensure the safety of passengers and vehicles as navigation became difficult in the thick fog. During the suspension, hundreds of vehicles were stranded at both terminals, causing significant inconvenience to travelers. Operations resumed around 10 a.m. on Friday after the fog lifted and visibility improved to a safe level.

Officials from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) confirmed that ferry movement was restored once conditions normalized. The report noted that such disruptions are common during winter when dense fog frequently affects ferry operations on this vital route, impacting travel and goods transport to the southern region.

Dhaka experienced severe cold and dense fog on Friday morning, disrupting normal life across the capital. The city was covered in a thick layer of fog from dawn, forcing vehicles to move with headlights on due to poor visibility. The biting cold and chilly winds made it difficult for residents to cope, even with multiple layers of warm clothing. As it was a holiday, fewer people were seen on the roads, but those who ventured out faced significant discomfort.

According to weather updates, the country’s overall weather may remain dry with partly cloudy skies. Moderate to dense fog is likely to occur in many areas from midnight to morning, possibly persisting until noon in some places. The intensity of cold has increased across the country, including Dhaka, with forecasts suggesting that the cold conditions may continue for several days.

The weather office also indicated that after January 4, the cold may intensify again, while 17 districts are expected to see a gradual reduction in the ongoing cold wave.

At least 17 people have been killed and 11 injured after sudden floods struck several regions of Afghanistan following heavy rain and snowfall, according to reports on Thursday. In Herat province’s Kabkan area, five members of a single family died when their house roof collapsed. The governor’s spokesperson, Mohammad Yusuf Saeedi, confirmed that two of the victims were children.

Mohammad Yusuf Hammad, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA), said the casualties occurred in flood-affected districts since Monday. The floods have disrupted daily life across northern, southern, and western parts of the country. Infrastructure damage and livestock deaths have been reported, with around 1,800 families affected. Observation teams have been deployed to the worst-hit areas.

The report noted that decades of conflict, weak infrastructure, deforestation, and the intensifying effects of climate change have worsened the impact of natural disasters, particularly in remote regions. In August, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake killed more than 1,400 people in Afghanistan.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has reported that a mild cold wave is currently sweeping across 16 districts, including Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Jessore, and Sylhet. Temperatures are expected to rise slightly over the next two days, easing the cold conditions temporarily. However, the department forecasts that temperatures will fall again after January 4, leading to another spell of cold weather across parts of the country.

According to the latest forecast, nighttime temperatures may increase slightly while daytime temperatures could rise by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius. The weather is expected to remain dry with partly cloudy skies. Moderate to dense fog may occur from midnight to morning in many areas, potentially disrupting air, river, and road transport. The highest temperature recorded on Thursday was 26.5°C in Teknaf, while the lowest was 7.8°C in Jessore.

Meteorologist Tariful Newaz Kabir stated that as January is typically the coldest month of the season, the intensity of winter may increase later in the month.

On the first day of the new year, customers of five long-troubled Islamic banks in Bangladesh began withdrawing money following their merger into the newly established Sammilit Islami Bank. Under the Bangladesh Bank’s resolution scheme, withdrawals of up to two lakh taka from current and savings accounts were allowed starting Thursday. Branches reported smooth transactions without major crowds as customers accessed their funds after a prolonged suspension.

The merged institutions—Social Islami Bank, First Security Islami Bank, Union Bank, Global Islami Bank, and EXIM Bank—have transferred their assets, liabilities, and staff to Sammilit Islami Bank, headquartered at Sena Kalyan Bhaban in Dhaka’s Motijheel. The central bank’s scheme set the new bank’s authorized capital at Tk 40,000 crore and paid-up capital at Tk 35,000 crore, with the government contributing Tk 20,000 crore as Class A shares.

Depositors can withdraw up to Tk 2 lakh at once, and for larger deposits, Tk 1 lakh every three months for up to two years. Fixed depositors outside financial institutions may also access investment or loan facilities up to 20 percent of their balances.

Bangladesh’s postal department-backed digital financial service provider Nagad recorded transactions worth approximately Tk 3.8 trillion in the recently concluded year, marking a 15 percent increase from the previous year’s Tk 3.3 trillion. The company disclosed the figures in a press release issued on Thursday, noting that December alone saw transactions totaling Tk 355.3 billion, the highest monthly volume to date.

According to Nagad’s administrator Md. Motasim Billah, the company consistently strives to offer value to its customers through various campaigns throughout the year, alongside maintaining the lowest cash-out charges in the market. The record transaction volume was primarily driven by cash-in, cash-out, money transfer, bill payments, mobile recharges, and remittance services.

The company’s continued growth underscores the expanding adoption of digital financial services in Bangladesh, with Nagad maintaining a strong position in the competitive mobile financial services sector.

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) will announce new prices for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and autogas this Sunday. The announcement, scheduled for 3 p.m., will be based on the Saudi Aramco-declared Saudi CP for January 2026, according to a BERC notice issued on Thursday.

The last price adjustment took place on December 2, when the price of a 12-kilogram LPG cylinder was raised by 38 taka to 1,253 taka. The upcoming announcement will determine the consumer-level prices for private LPG distributors in line with international price movements.

The BERC’s monthly price adjustment reflects global market trends and aims to maintain consistency between domestic and international LPG pricing structures.

Bangladesh received a record remittance inflow of approximately 33 billion US dollars in 2025, according to data released by Bangladesh Bank on Thursday. The total marks a 23.34 percent increase compared to 2024, when expatriate income stood at 26.60 billion dollars. In December 2025 alone, remittances reached 3.22 billion dollars, the second-highest monthly figure in the country’s history, following the record 3.29 billion dollars in March of the same year.

The report attributes the surge mainly to a decline in money laundering, prompting more expatriates to send their earnings through formal banking channels. December’s remittance growth was 22.30 percent higher than the same month in 2024, when inflows totaled 2.63 billion dollars.

The record inflow underscores the growing reliance on remittances as a key source of foreign currency for Bangladesh, reflecting improved compliance and confidence in official transfer systems.

The Government of Bangladesh has approved a plan to purchase 14 aircraft from U.S. manufacturer Boeing. The decision was endorsed in a Biman Bangladesh Airlines board meeting held on Tuesday, where members agreed in principle to proceed with formal negotiations on pricing and terms. Boeing’s proposal, submitted on November 24, 2025, and revised on December 20, 2025, includes two Boeing 787-9s, eight 787-10s, and four 737-8s. Biman’s managing director and CEO Md. Shafiqul Rahman confirmed in a letter to Boeing’s vice president that the approval marks only the start of formal discussions and does not yet create any financial or legal obligations.

The move aligns with Bangladesh’s broader strategy to strengthen trade and economic ties with the United States. Officials view the purchase as a step toward reducing the bilateral trade deficit and improving understanding on export tariff issues. A committee will now be formed to negotiate pricing and related matters with Boeing.

According to officials, if implemented, the fleet expansion could enhance Biman’s international competitiveness and bring positive changes to the country’s aviation sector.