Professor Dr. A.K.M. Riazul Hasan, Chairman of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), has stated that Rakhal Raha and Gazi Salauddin Ahmed Tanvir have no involvement in the procurement of paper for printing textbooks.

Addressing recent allegations, he dismissed claims that Rakhal Raha was engaged in a Tk 400 crore commission business related to textbook paper procurement, calling it baseless propaganda. “The total paper purchase amounted to approximately Tk 102 crore. The claim of a Tk 400 crore commission is completely illogical,” he said.

He further clarified that reports accusing NCTB of commission-based trading in paper procurement are false and misleading. Additionally, he emphasized that textbook revisions were carried out as a collaborative effort, not by a single individual.

At least 25 people have died, and several others remain missing after a boat capsized in the Kwo River near Mai-Ndombe province in western Congo. The vessel was carrying football players from Nagambomi village, returning from a match in Mushie town. The boat sank 12 kilometers after leaving Mushie port late at night. While 30 survivors have been rescued, authorities fear that the death toll may rise as rescue operations continue.

A young man, identified as Abdur Razzak Fahim, launched a sudden attack inside a police station in Dhaka, injuring Officer-in-Charge (OC) Nazrul Islam and two other officers. According to OC Islam, Fahim entered the station around 2 AM, claiming that a murder had taken place nearby. When the OC stated he had no knowledge of such an incident, Fahim accused the police of hiding information. As officers attempted to verify his identity, Fahim suddenly started punching and injuring them. Assistant Sub-Inspector Nasir suffered a broken finger, while Second Officer Shariful Islam sustained a head injury.

The condition of the 8-year-old girl who was raped while visiting her sister’s house in Magura has deteriorated further. A member of the medical board stated that while the child’s condition showed slight improvement on Monday, her brain has now become unresponsive. The doctor explained that during the assault, the girl was strangled, leading to oxygen deprivation in her brain. She was left untreated for hours before being taken to the hospital the next day, causing severe brain damage. Her Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, which briefly improved to 5 yesterday, has now dropped back to 3, far below the normal level of 15.

Advisor Mahfuz Alam has claimed that external forces are pushing for a swift change of government in Bangladesh, citing the country’s ongoing structural reforms, trials for genocide and corruption, and efforts to revitalize institutions. He assured that the upcoming elections would take place on schedule and that visible progress in state reforms would occur before then. Alam emphasized a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and extremism but warned that internal conflicts among bureaucrats, business elites, and media interests, along with resistance from anti-uprising forces, are creating challenges for the government.

A massive fire broke out at the power grid in Amin Bazar, Savar, early Tuesday morning. The fire service deployed nine units to control the blaze. According to officials, they received the emergency alert at 7:15 AM, with the first unit reaching the scene by 7:20 AM, followed by additional reinforcements. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage remain unknown, but as of the latest reports, the situation is under control.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump revealed on Monday that four American companies are in discussions to acquire TikTok amid ongoing uncertainty over its future. The Chinese-owned social media platform faces a potential ban in the U.S. unless it separates from its parent company, ByteDance, as per new U.S. regulations. While Trump did not disclose the names of the interested buyers, speculation points to Microsoft, Oracle, The People’s Bid for TikTok, and internet star MrBeast as potential contenders. Trump emphasized that the final decision rests with him.

The Trump administration has slashed 83% of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programs following a six-week review aimed at reducing the agency’s activities. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that 5,200 contracts, worth billions of dollars, have been canceled, citing concerns that some programs were against U.S. national interests. The remaining 1,000 projects will now be managed more efficiently under the State Department’s oversight, with congressional involvement. Rubio also praised the Department of Government Efficiency, led by billionaire Elon Musk, for its role in the review. The workforce at USAID, which once exceeded 10,000 employees, is now at risk of shrinking to fewer than 300.

A significant cyber attack has targeted X, the platform owned by Elon Musk, according to reports from AFP. Users from Asia, Europe, and North America faced issues accessing the platform starting Monday morning. Many were unable to log into their accounts. Musk later confirmed the attack, calling it a major cyber assault. Despite the disruptions, some users could still access the platform intermittently. Although Musk attributed the issue to a cyber attack, he did not provide any evidence to support his claim. This is not the first cyber attack on X, as similar incidents occurred during Trump’s interview sessions during the election period.

U.S. fighter jets intercepted a civilian aircraft flying in a temporarily restricted airspace near former President Donald Trump’s Florida residence. This incident marks over 20 violations since Trump assumed the presidency on January 20. According to a statement from Aerospace Defense Command, F-16 jets deployed flares to grab the attention of the civilian pilot. Fortunately, the security of Trump was not impacted. NORAD confirmed that while fire trails could be seen from the ground, they quickly burned out without causing any danger.

The family of firefighter Swanur Zaman Noyon (24), who tragically lost his life on duty after being struck by a truck during a fire incident at the Secretariat, has received an additional financial aid of 5 lakh Taka from the Ministry of Home Affairs. On January 6th, Home Affairs Advisor Jahangir Alam handed over the sum to Noyon’s parents. In total, the Ministry has provided 10 lakh Taka in financial support to Noyon’s family. Additionally, the Fire Service had previously offered one lakh Taka in cash and 50 thousand Taka for funeral expenses to the family on December 26th of last year.

A fire broke out at the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) headquarters in Pilkhana on Monday night. Five fire service units brought the blaze under control. Four individuals, including two women and two children, suffered from smoke inhalation and were admitted to the BGB hospital. Fire Service Duty Officer Shahjahan Hossain reported that the fire originated on the eighth floor of a 10-story residential building at 9:25 PM. Initially, two units from Palashi Fire Station responded, followed by three more from Siddique Bazar Fire Station. The fire was fully contained by 9:58 PM.

Professor Dr. Amirul Islam, the Special Assistant at the Ministry of Education (with the rank of a State Minister) in the interim government, has officially resigned. On Monday, the Cabinet Division issued a notification confirming that the resignation was accepted by the President. Dr. Islam stepped down from his advisory position on the same day, as confirmed by Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam.

The Cyber Crime Unit of the Detective Branch (DB) arrested truck driver Titon Islam on Monday night in connection with a fatal road accident in Banani’s Chairman Bari area. The accident, which occurred early Monday morning, claimed the lives of two pedestrians near the Chairman Bari U-turn. One of the deceased has been identified as Minara Akter, a garment worker, while the other victim remains unidentified. DB officials confirmed the arrest, stating that further legal proceedings are underway.

A stakeholder meeting on the Teesta project was held in Rangpur on Monday, where participants demanded that the Teesta Master Plan be implemented using domestic funds. Meanwhile, Power China’s Country Manager, Han Kun, stated that the project would not have geopolitical implications as it is a commercial venture aimed at benefiting people. Stakeholders emphasized that the interim government should launch the project immediately to safeguard the livelihoods of two crore people in the Teesta basin. They also urged the cancellation of past approvals allowing thousands of acres to be taken over for solar panels, stressing that the river should be allowed to flow naturally.