Professor UH Ruhina Jesmin of Khulna University’s English Discipline sparked controversy after posting on Facebook comparing former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and a convicted war criminal named Hasina. The post, made on Wednesday from her personal account, praised both women’s empowerment journeys in a male-dominated society and described their rise from domestic life to national leadership as inspirational. The post quickly drew anger from students on campus and across social media.

Students criticized the comparison as historically inaccurate and politically biased, citing human rights concerns during Sheikh Hasina’s rule. Several commenters described the post as an attempt to elevate Hasina’s image by equating her with Khaleda Zia. Allegations also surfaced that Jesmin mocked religious students and pressured female students to remove hijabs during classes and exams. Rumors circulated that her university appointment was linked to political connections with a former Awami League mayor.

Jesmin defended her post, saying her intention was to highlight women’s empowerment, not politics. She later uploaded a video apology, stating she had clarified her position and expressed regret for any misunderstanding.

Rashed Khan, a young national-level politician, has resigned from Gono Odhikar Parishad and joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Following his move, he received the BNP nomination for the Jhenaidah-2 (Kaliganj–Sadar partial) constituency. According to his election affidavit, he owns no house, car, land, or plot. He listed his professions as politics and business, while his wife, Rabeya Akter Alo, was described as a homemaker.

The affidavit states that Rashed Khan holds 3,545,875 taka in cash and 7,582 taka in two private bank accounts. His wife has 30,000 taka in cash. The couple jointly possess 40 bhori of gold, valued at 81,48,412 taka at current rates, received as gifts. His wife also owns gold, electronics, furniture, and other household items worth about 17,70,000 taka. Rashed Khan declared no immovable property, shares, bonds, savings certificates, or foreign assets.

For the 2025–26 fiscal year, he reported an income of 450,000 taka and total assets worth 38,45,915 taka, according to his tax return information.

Jamaat-e-Islami central executive member and Sylhet city Ameer Muhammad Fakhrul Islam stated that despite Bangladesh’s vast potential, ordinary citizens remain deprived of their rightful benefits due to the absence of proper political direction and honest leadership. He made these remarks on Thursday, January 1, during a winter clothing distribution event organized by the 39th Ward Jamaat at Tukergaon in Sylhet’s Jalalabad area.

Fakhrul Islam criticized corruption and plundering in politics, saying that while some leaders have amassed personal wealth, marginalized and underprivileged people see no positive impact on their lives. He emphasized Jamaat-e-Islami’s goal of building a welfare state by eliminating social inequality and establishing a justice-based system. He urged party members at all levels to work unitedly to fulfill public expectations.

He added that Jamaat believes in serving humanity to attain divine satisfaction and continues humanitarian efforts such as distributing winter clothes to the poor affected by severe cold across the country, including Sylhet.

The Chattogram district administration has launched a winter blanket distribution program for cold-affected people, led by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mohammad Zahidul Islam Miah. During a late-night visit to different city areas, the DC encountered a beggar family at the Sholoshahar railway station. After hearing their plea for help, he provided initial assistance and invited them to his office, promising permanent rehabilitation.

According to district administration sources, the DC and his team distributed blankets among destitute people on Wednesday night, starting from Sholoshahar station and continuing through several city points. Among those they met was Abdul Majid, a physically challenged man from Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, who lives on the streets of Chattogram with his seven-year-old daughter Yasmin. The DC assured them of long-term support, citing concern for the child’s safety and future.

Following the incident, news of the DC’s gesture spread widely on social media, drawing widespread praise for his compassionate response and commitment to social welfare.

Mushfiq Us Salehin, joint member secretary and media cell editor of the National Citizens Party (NCP), has resigned from the party. On Thursday, January 1, 2026, he announced his resignation through the NCP’s media-related WhatsApp group and confirmed that he had sent his resignation letter to convener Nahid Islam later that afternoon.

Earlier the same day, Khan Muhammad Mursalin, the party’s joint chief coordinator, also resigned through a video message posted on his Facebook account. Both resignations were made public within hours of each other, indicating a wave of departures from the NCP’s leadership ranks.

The report did not specify the reasons behind the resignations or any official response from the party leadership.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s Nayeb-e-Ameer and Rangpur-2 (Badarganj-Taraganj) parliamentary candidate ATM Azharul Islam said the local administration remains disorganized and ineffective in the election field. Speaking to journalists on Thursday afternoon after the nomination scrutiny at the Rangpur district returning officer’s office, he stated that the Election Commission has yet to demonstrate neutrality in its operations and must act more impartially to create a level playing field.

Azharul Islam expressed concern that if the administration continues to function in its current state, holding a fair election will be difficult. Responding to a question about election-related fears, he said apprehensions persist because a non-political activist, Sharif Osman Hadi, was killed due to election-related circumstances. He added that the Election Commission’s measures regarding candidate safety remain unclear and called for stricter security to prevent further incidents.

Local Jamaat leaders, including Badarganj Upazila Ameer Kamaruzzaman and Taraganj Upazila Ameer Alamgir Hossain, were present during the remarks.

In Kurigram, the returning officer has declared the nomination papers of two candidates invalid for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. The decision was announced on Thursday, December 1, after the first day of the nomination scrutiny process. The disqualified candidates are Jatiya Party’s former Member of Parliament Ponir Uddin Ahmed, accused of concealing case information in his affidavit, and Bangladesh National Party’s candidate Atikur Rahman, whose affidavit was found incomplete.

According to the returning officer’s office, all six candidates in Kurigram-1 constituency were declared valid, while in Kurigram-2, seven out of nine candidates, including those from BNP, Jamaat, Islami Andolon, and NCP, were approved. Ponir Uddin Ahmed’s nomination was canceled for not disclosing a recent case filed against him, and Atikur Rahman’s was rejected for missing information in his affidavit.

Both candidates are eligible to appeal the decision between January 5 and January 11. Ponir Uddin Ahmed stated he was unaware of the case filed in Dhaka’s Mirpur and intends to appeal the decision.

Police in Pakundia, Kishoreganj arrested Motayem Hossain Swapon, a 65-year-old leader of the banned Awami League, late Wednesday night. The arrest took place around 11:30 p.m. at his residence in Charpakundia under the municipal area. Swapon is a former joint convener of the Pakundia Upazila Awami League and the son of late freedom fighter Rafiqul Haque Chandu Mia of Charpakundia village.

Pakundia Police Station’s Second Officer, Sub-Inspector Binoy Sarkar, confirmed the arrest and stated that Swapon faces a political case. He was sent to court on Thursday morning following his detention. The report did not specify details of the case or the reasons behind the ban on the local Awami League activities.

The incident highlights ongoing law enforcement actions in the region involving political figures, though further information about the case proceedings or party response was not provided in the source.

Former state minister for home affairs and BNP leader Lutfozzaman Babar stated that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) never used the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) for party interests. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, January 1, after visiting the grave of Begum Khaleda Zia, he said the force was formed under her directive to ensure public safety, not for political purposes. Babar emphasized that no one could prove that RAB was politically used and that even BNP members were not spared if they committed wrongdoing.

He described Khaleda Zia as uncompromising on national security and sovereignty and said he found similar qualities in her son, acting BNP chairman Tarique Rahman. Babar added that he came to the graveyard out of personal emotion, not political intent, and had obtained permission from law enforcement authorities.

The remarks highlighted Babar’s continued loyalty to the BNP leadership and his call for prayers for a people’s government under Tarique Rahman’s leadership.

Police in Faridpur’s Saltha upazila arrested two local Awami League leaders during a special drive under Operation Devil Hunt Phase-2. The detainees are Md. Yunus Molya, 65, president of the Ballavdi Union Awami League, and Yusuf Matubbar, 70, president of the 2nd ward of Bhawal Union Awami League. Yunus Molya was arrested from Phulbari area on Wednesday night, while Yusuf Matubbar was detained from Saltha Bazar on Thursday morning. Both were sent to the Faridpur court on Thursday afternoon.

According to Saltha Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Bablur Rahman Khan, the arrests were made on allegations of involvement in activities aimed at creating unrest and sabotage in the area. The police official stated that the special operation would continue as part of the ongoing law enforcement efforts in the region.

The report did not mention any further details about the charges, court proceedings, or responses from the Awami League or other stakeholders.

On January 1, 2026, the nomination paper scrutiny for Narsingdi-2 (Palash) and Narsingdi-4 (Monohardi-Belabo) constituencies was conducted as part of the 13th National Parliamentary Election process. A total of 18 nomination papers were reviewed on the first day, and four candidates were disqualified for failing to meet the required conditions.

In Narsingdi-2, three candidates were excluded: Engineer Mohshin Ahmed of Islami Andolan Bangladesh for loan default, A N M Rafiqul Islam Selim of Jatiya Party for lacking proper party nomination papers, and Mohammad Ibrahim of Insaniyat Biplob Bangladesh for incomplete personal information. In Narsingdi-4, Kazi Shariful Islam of Bangladesh Congress Party was disqualified due to issues with proposer and supporter signatures.

Returning Officer and Narsingdi Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Anwar Hossain stated that scrutiny was carried out in two of the district’s five constituencies according to election procedures, and four nominations were canceled for not fulfilling submission requirements.

In Chattogram-11 (Bandar–Patenga) constituency, Jamaat candidate Mohammad Shafiul Alam’s election affidavit has drawn attention for unusual financial disclosures. The document lists his three children—two sons and a daughter—as earning nearly five lakh taka annually, despite all being students. The eldest studies BBA at a private university, the second is an HSC student, and the youngest is in seventh grade. Each is shown as engaged in separate professions, including teaching, legal consultancy, and salaried employment, with shares and business interests under their names.

The disclosures have sparked surprise among voters and prompted questions in political circles about how minors or full-time students could hold such jobs or business stakes. Some have questioned whether the candidate’s actual assets were partially declared under his children’s names. Shafiul Alam’s own affidavit lists an annual income slightly above fourteen lakh taka, cash holdings of 27.84 lakh, and total assets exceeding one crore seven lakh taka, further fueling discussion about the sources of his wealth.

Attempts to contact the candidate through the phone numbers listed in the affidavit were unsuccessful, as both numbers were found switched off.

Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) representatives met BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Thursday, January 1, at the party chairperson’s political office in Gulshan. The meeting focused on preserving the spirit of the July Revolution and other national issues. At the start, the delegation signed the condolence book for the late former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. After the meeting, DUCSU Vice President Sadiq Kayem said Tarique Rahman gave important advice to the student community, emphasizing unity among all anti-fascist forces.

According to Kayem, Rahman stated that political differences are part of democratic beauty but urged all to remain united for Bangladesh and the July Revolution. He advised all anti-fascist parties, including BNP and Jamaat, and student groups such as Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir, to work shoulder to shoulder. Kayem also called for rebuilding state institutions, ensuring fair elections, and implementing the “July Charter” through a referendum.

The meeting also discussed justice for slain activist Osman Hadi. Kayem alleged that the masterminds behind Hadi’s killing remain unarrested and demanded their trial. He reaffirmed that despite ideological differences, students would continue their united struggle to fulfill the July Revolution’s goals.

On January 1, 2026, three candidates were disqualified during the second day of nomination scrutiny for the 13th national election in Khulna-1 (Dacope-Batiaghata) constituency. The disqualifications were based on allegations of signature forgery and submission of nominations with proposers registered in different constituencies. The review began at 11 a.m. and concluded with 10 candidates declared valid out of 13 who had submitted nomination papers.

According to District Commissioner and Returning Officer A.S.M. Jamshed Khondaker, the verification process is ongoing and will continue for other constituencies in the coming days. The disqualified candidates include Gano Adhikar Parishad’s G.M. Rokonuzzaman, whose proposer was a voter from another area, and two independent candidates, Gobinda Halder and Achintya Kumar Mondal, both accused of signature forgery.

The 10 valid candidates represent various political parties, including Islami Andolon, BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, JSD, Bangladesh Minority National Party, Bangladesh Samadhikar Parishad, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Jatiya Party, and Islami Front.

Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader has reported an increase in his cash holdings compared to two years ago, while his wife Sherifa Quader’s cash amount has decreased, according to the affidavit submitted for the 13th National Parliamentary Election. The affidavit shows Quader now holds Tk 6,032,405 in cash, up from Tk 4,988,253 during the 12th election, whereas his wife’s cash has fallen to Tk 4,890,938 from Tk 5,959,563. Both own houses in Lalmonirhat and Dhaka valued at over Tk 20 million combined, though neither owns agricultural land.

The affidavit lists Quader’s profession as politician and his wife’s as singer and businessperson. Quader uses a car worth Tk 8,498,475, while his wife drives one valued at Tk 8 million. His movable assets are valued at Tk 19.5 million and his wife’s at Tk 17.2 million. Quader has Tk 4 million in savings certificates or fixed deposits, and his wife has Tk 1,183,368. Their reported incomes include allowances, savings returns, and business earnings.

The affidavit also notes no income from agriculture, rent, or business for Quader, aside from allowances and investment returns.