“Tobacco kills 442 people in Bangladesh every single day. This is nothing short of an epidemic,” warned public health advocate Sharmin S. Murshid during a seminar.

She criticized the government’s internal disagreements over amending the Tobacco Control Act, urging immediate consensus to save lives.

Key proposed amendments include banning smoking zones in public places, prohibiting all forms of tobacco display and advertising, restricting e-cigarettes, ending the sale of single-stick cigarettes, banning tobacco industry CSR campaigns, and enlarging graphic health warnings to 90% of packaging.

Speakers condemned negotiations with tobacco companies and demanded stronger regulation aligned with WHO’s FCTC guidelines.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that international recognition of Palestine would “only create more problems” and jeopardize ongoing ceasefire efforts.

Speaking after a meeting with Ecuador’s leadership, Rubio dismissed such recognition as “fake and unrealistic.” While refraining from commenting directly on Israel’s West Bank annexation plans, he called them “entirely predictable.”

Rubio accused moves to strengthen the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank of emboldening Hamas in Gaza. His remarks came just days after French President Emmanuel Macron announced at the UN that France would formally recognize a Palestinian state.

Incidents of violence and arson have been reported at religious sites in Rajshahi’s Paba Upazila and Gopalganj’s Gopalganj Darbar Sharif.

Eyewitnesses said the Aziz Bhandari Khanka Sharif in Panishail, Chandrapukur village, Paba, hosts a three-day Milad-un-Nabi event every year. On Friday, during the first day and after Friday prayers, a group identifying as “Tawhidi Janata” attacked the Sharif, causing extensive damage. Law enforcement later regained control.

Meanwhile, in Gopalganj, attackers vandalized the Nuru Pagla Darbar Sharif and nearby residences, setting fire to property and desecrating graves. They also torched three government vehicles. Several people were injured before the army and Rapid Action Battalion intervened to restore order.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that 26 European allies have formally pledged to send troops to Ukraine—by land, sea, or air—once a ceasefire agreement takes hold.

Speaking after a “Coalition of the Willing” summit of 35 nations, Macron said U.S. support is expected soon, possibly in the form of air defense aid, as suggested by Donald Trump. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged for “maximum protection of Ukraine’s skies.”

Meanwhile, the EU declared it will end all Russian oil and gas imports by 2027, as Moscow warned that Western troop deployments in Ukraine would be unacceptable.

The Johor Immigration Department in Malaysia conducted a large-scale operation on Wednesday, detaining a total of 94 undocumented immigrants, including 34 Bangladeshis.

Director Datuk Mohammad confirmed that officials from the Enforcement Division Action Unit and EKPAS participated in the raid. Among those arrested were 38 Bangladeshi men, 15 Indonesian men, 12 Myanmar men, six Pakistani men, four Indian men, two Vietnamese men, one Nepali man, one Thai man, 10 Myanmar women, and five Indonesian women, aged between 18 and 61.

The detainees have been sent to the Setia Tropicana Immigration Depot for further investigation. Employers have been sternly warned against providing shelter or employment to illegal immigrants.

The Election Commission has made it easier for citizens to replace lost National Identity Cards (NID). Previously, filing a General Diary (GD) at a police station was mandatory to obtain a new card, causing delays and inconvenience. Now, the process has been simplified, and citizens can reissue their NID without visiting the police. ASM Humayun Kabir Banik, DG of the National Identity Registration Subdivision, confirmed the decision, emphasizing that it will significantly reduce hardship and save time and effort for citizens.

Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumdar announced that false and fabricated cases filed by police and factory management against 48,000 workers and trade union leaders have been officially withdrawn. “If this government is not worker- and poor-friendly, then who will be?” Majumdar questioned.

He emphasized his long-term observation of Bangladesh’s labor issues, particularly in the ready-made garment sector. Highlighting the harsh realities in many factories, he described how workers were often treated like modern-day slaves. Although structural improvements were introduced following the Rana Plaza tragedy due to Western-backed platforms like the Accord and Alliance, the working conditions for laborers remained largely unchanged.

Majumdar criticized the prevalence of minimal wages, extended working hours, and lack of legal protections, which continue to make life extremely difficult for workers. In many factories, pseudo “PC Committees” influenced by owners have replaced genuine trade unions, undermining workers’ rights. While these committees helped owners present their factories as “compliant” to buyers, they also opened doors to labor exploitation.

As a result, workers’ demands for fair wages were brutally suppressed, with thousands facing dismissals, intimidation, and legal harassment. Majumdar noted that the government has prioritized ending these practices and advancing comprehensive labor sector reforms.

The police have submitted chargesheets to the court in three cases related to the deaths of three students during the popular uprising. The cases name 208 individuals as accused, including senior leaders of the Awami League, former ministers and MPs, and government officials.

After nearly a year of investigation, the chargesheets were filed:

In one case, filed by Shahid Nabi Nur Morol’s wife Akleema Begum on September 4 last year, additional accused were identified during the investigation.

Another case, filed in Ashulia by Shahid Mamun Khandakar’s wife, originally listed 33 accused, with 19 more added later.

In the third case, filed by the father of Shahid Ramzan Ali, 49 individuals were charged following the investigation, although 60 names were initially listed.

Former Inspector General of Police Abdullah Al Mamun, in a statement given after interrogation, admitted to lapses in duty but denied obeying any illegal government directives. He confirmed that he has not resigned from his post and said he never exploited his position for personal benefit.

Mamun also refuted claims that he attended informal meetings at Khan Kamal’s residence, stating such gatherings often violated the chain of command. While acknowledging lapses in duty, he emphasized that police action should correspond to the severity of incidents, and peaceful protestors should never be harmed.

Addressing rumors about directives to use lethal weapons, helicopters, or drones during the July unrest, Mamun clarified that he never received any written orders to do so, though he admitted involvement in crimes committed during that period.

A dramatic incident unfolded in Narayanganj’s Sonargaon on Thursday when followers of a murder attempt suspect attacked police and freed him from custody.

Police from Meghna station had launched an operation in Baiddar Bazar to arrest Mohsin, a named accused in a murder attempt case, along with local youth leader Titu.

After Mohsin’s arrest, his supporters attacked officers, forcibly taking him away despite being in handcuffs. They also vandalized a shop during the chaos.

Additional police rushed to the scene and brought the situation under control. No fresh case has yet been filed over the incident.

Michael Kugelman, a prominent South Asia analyst, has warned that Bangladesh could face widespread protests and unrest if elections are not held in February as scheduled.

In a policy brief, he noted that the Election Commission has announced elections for early February, a development most citizens view as a relief after months of political uncertainty.

Kugelman highlighted growing impatience with the interim government, which recently completed one year in office amid economic pressures and law-and-order challenges.

He suggested that while some actors—including student leaders behind a new political party and certain interim officials—may prefer a delay, the army, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, and other key stakeholders remain firmly committed to holding elections on time.

Residents of Algi and Hamirdi unions in Bhangha Upazila have blocked the highway in protest after a government gazette transferred their areas from Faridpur-4 to Faridpur-2 constituency. The blockade, which began at 8 a.m., has disrupted traffic between southern Bangladesh and Dhaka, leaving thousands of vehicles stranded.

Locals argue that the decision disregards the interests and historical ties of Bhangha residents. They demand an immediate reversal and have warned that protests will continue if their demands are not met.

Bhangha Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Mizanur Rahman confirmed discussions with the Deputy Commissioner regarding the protesters’ demands and assured that higher authorities will address the issue promptly.

A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Afghanistan again on Thursday, the third tremor to shake the region since Sunday.

According to local authorities, the epicenter was in Shiba district, near the Pakistan border, at a depth of 10 kilometers. Initial reports indicate damage in Bar Kashkot area.

Earlier quakes in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces left hundreds of villages destroyed, displacing hundreds of thousands, and injuring over 3,600 people. Rescue workers confirmed that Thursday’s quake raised the death toll to 2,205, with at least 3,640 injured.

The UN and aid agencies have warned that emergency supplies of food, medicine, and shelter are rapidly running out, raising fears of a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Another group of Bangladeshi nationals has been deported from the United States over allegations of undocumented stay. This time, 30 Bangladeshis were sent back under the Trump administration’s intensified crackdown on illegal immigration. Their flight landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka around 11:30 pm on Thursday. Among them were 29 men and one woman.

Since President Trump’s re-election for a second term, U.S. deportation drives have accelerated, sending back citizens of multiple countries, including Bangladesh. So far, 187 Bangladeshis have been deported in three separate phases.

Bangladesh is set to become the first country in Asia to introduce AI-powered portable ultrasound machines, in what is being hailed as a major leap for the nation’s healthcare sector.

The initiative comes from US-based company Exo Imaging, whose co-founders Yusuf Haque and Sandeep Akkaraju met with the Chief Adviser on Thursday.

The devices—already FDA-approved and in use in the United States—will first be rolled out in top hospitals before expanding to rural and community health centers.

“This technology will make advanced diagnostics accessible even in remote areas,” Haque said. Akkaraju added that Bangladesh’s adoption of the technology marks a pioneering step for the region.

The Chief Adviser welcomed the move, calling it a “significant milestone towards universal healthcare.”