A capacity-building workshop on preventing technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) was held in Kushtia, Bangladesh, organized by the Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC). The event, held on Monday, brought together 32 representatives from local civil society organizations and NGOs to discuss strategies for combating digital and gender-based violence.

Speakers included Kushtia Department of Social Services Assistant Director Md. Murad Hossain and BNNRC Chief Executive Officer A.H.M. Bazlur Rahman. They emphasized that both women and men can be victims of TFGBV and highlighted the importance of collective community action. Participants stressed that awareness among families, teachers, and students is essential to build safer digital and physical environments.

The workshop underscored the need for coordinated efforts involving government agencies, educational institutions, and community stakeholders. Organizers called for sustained awareness campaigns in schools and families to ensure long-term prevention and support mechanisms against gender-based violence in the digital era.

Dhaka’s Metro Rail authority has launched an online recharge system for Rapid Pass and MRT Pass cards, allowing passengers to top up their travel cards without visiting station counters. The new service, accessible through the website rapidpass.com.bd, supports payments via major digital platforms including bKash, Nagad, Rocket, and credit cards. This move aims to reduce long queues at metro stations and enhance commuter convenience in the traffic-congested capital.

According to the announcement, users can register online, log in, and recharge between Tk 100 and Tk 5,000. bKash users can receive up to Tk 100 cashback on transactions. Each card can have only one pending recharge at a time, and refunds are subject to a 5% service charge. The refund process is currently suspended.

Officials expect the online system to streamline fare management and encourage digital payment adoption among commuters. The initiative aligns with Bangladesh’s broader push toward smart urban transport and cashless mobility solutions.

The digital content landscape is witnessing a growing debate between short-form and long-form video formats. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts have popularized quick, algorithm-driven clips that cater to shrinking attention spans and fast-paced lifestyles. Meanwhile, long-form videos—ranging from podcasts to documentaries—continue to attract audiences seeking depth, storytelling, and emotional connection.

Analysts note that short videos excel in virality and brand visibility, while long videos build trust and loyalty. However, both formats face challenges: short clips risk superficiality, and long videos demand sustained viewer engagement. Increasingly, creators are blending the two—using short clips to attract viewers and long videos to retain them. This hybrid model is emerging as the most effective strategy.

Experts predict that the future of digital content will depend less on format dominance and more on creators’ adaptability. Success will hinge on understanding audience behavior and choosing the right format for the right moment.

Bangladesh’s interim government has formally requested Meta to remove content that allegedly incites violence and disrupts the upcoming national election and referendum. The National Cyber Security Agency sent a letter to Meta last Friday, urging the company to enforce stricter monitoring of Bangladesh-related content until February 2026. The government expressed concern that social media platforms are being used to provoke real-world violence and attacks on media institutions.

According to the letter, several Facebook posts have supported the death of Osman Hadi and called for violence against journalists, leading to attacks on two newspaper offices. The government accused Meta of failing to deactivate accounts that spread such content despite repeated appeals from authorities and civil society. Officials warned that online incitement threatens citizens’ safety, minority rights, and the country’s democratic transition.

The letter called on Meta to apply community standards more rigorously, strengthen Bangla-language moderation, enhance sentiment analysis, and ensure immediate removal of content promoting intimidation or organized harm. Meta has not yet issued a public response.

India’s Ministry of Defence is finalizing a proposal to acquire 850 kamikaze drones for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and special forces at an estimated cost of ₹2,000 crore. The Defense Acquisition Council is expected to approve the purchase in its upcoming meeting later this December, after which procurement will begin.

According to reports from the Economic Times citing ministry sources, the move follows India’s successful use of combat drones during ‘Operation Sindoor’ against Pakistan in May. Senior defense officials told ANI that drones proved highly effective during that operation, prompting the armed forces to expand their drone arsenal across all branches. Kamikaze drones, also known as loitering munitions, are designed to strike targets and self-destruct upon impact.

Analysts view this procurement as part of India’s broader modernization strategy to strengthen precision strike capabilities and reduce battlefield risks. The integration of autonomous navigation and target recognition technologies in these drones could significantly enhance India’s tactical flexibility in future conflicts.

Chinese short-video platform TikTok has finalized a deal with several U.S. investors, including Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX, to maintain its operations in the United States and avert a potential ban. CEO Shou Zi Chew announced the agreement to employees on Thursday, confirming that the joint venture will allow TikTok to comply with U.S. regulatory requirements.

Under the arrangement, one-third of the new venture’s ownership will remain with ByteDance’s existing investors, while ByteDance itself will hold around 20 percent— the maximum share allowed for a Chinese company under current U.S. law. Oracle’s executive chairman Larry Ellison, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, is among the key figures involved in the deal.

The move follows earlier U.S. government demands during Joe Biden’s presidency that ByteDance divest TikTok’s American operations or face a ban. With the investor deadline set for January, TikTok’s timely agreement ensures its continued access to one of its largest markets while easing political and security tensions between Washington and Beijing.

Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has reported that 98.9% of households in the country now use mobile phones, reflecting the deep penetration of mobile technology across both rural and urban areas. The data comes from the first-quarter report of the 2025–26 ICT Use and Application Survey, conducted between July and September 2025, covering over 61,000 households nationwide.

According to the survey, 72.4% of households use smartphones, a slight decline from 72.8% in the previous fiscal year. Individual mobile phone usage, however, rose to 80.6% from 78.9% last year. Internet usage also increased modestly, reaching 48.9% of the population. Gender disparities persist: 80.9% of men and 78.8% of women use mobile phones, but ownership rates remain lower among women (52.8%) than men (63.2%).

Urban households show higher smartphone adoption (80.8%) compared to rural ones (68.8%). BBS noted that such data will help policymakers assess progress toward Sustainable Development Goals and design targeted ICT development programs.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has postponed the launch of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) system to January 1, shifting from the earlier date of December 16. The decision, announced in a BTRC press release on Monday, aims to give mobile phone traders additional time to register unsold or stocked imported handsets in the system.

According to BTRC sources, many retailers have yet to submit International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) data for their devices, prompting the extension. The commission has requested all mobile phone traders to send the required information in a specified Microsoft Excel format to neir@btrc.gov.bd by December 31.

The NEIR system is designed to curb mobile phone theft and illegal handset use by tracking IMEI numbers nationwide. Once operational, it will help authorities block unauthorized or cloned devices from accessing mobile networks, enhancing consumer protection and national security.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh has issued an urgent warning to citizens planning to travel abroad, cautioning them against fraudulent websites imitating the official MyGov platform. The ministry confirmed that cybercriminals are operating fake domains resembling government sites to issue counterfeit apostille certificates, undermining the credibility of legitimate digital authentication services.

According to the ICT Division’s Aspire to Innovate (a2i) program, the MyGov platform (https://www.mygov.bd) has processed around 1.7 million applications in the past 11 months, significantly improving transparency and efficiency in document verification. However, authorities recently identified multiple fake domains, including apostillemygovbd.news and apostille-mygovbd.com, used for scams. Police have already shut down two such fraudulent sites following ministry directives.

Officials warned that these scams could jeopardize the acceptance of Bangladeshi public documents abroad and disrupt lawful migration processes. Citizens are urged to use only the official MyGov website and avoid sharing personal data through suspicious links. Law enforcement efforts to identify and prosecute the fraudsters remain ongoing.

The Government of Bangladesh has extended the deadline for registering unregistered mobile phones until March 15, following discussions with the Mobile Business Community of Bangladesh (MBCB). The National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR), initially set to launch on December 16, will still go into effect as planned, but users now have additional time to register devices purchased or used without prior registration.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, the decision came after three days of continuous dialogue with mobile traders. The ministry clarified that there are no restrictions on importing mobile phones, and relevant authorities will be notified about permissible models and import conditions. Ongoing discussions with the National Board of Revenue and the Ministry of Commerce aim to revise import duties.

Officials urged mobile traders to maintain order and avoid any actions that could disrupt public safety. The government’s mediation seeks to balance regulatory enforcement with business concerns, ensuring a smoother transition to the NEIR system and curbing illegal handset use.

Bangladesh’s prison authorities are preparing to launch a video calling system that will allow inmates to communicate with their families using IP phones. Currently, prisoners can make a 10-minute voice call every seven days for 10 taka through a fingerprint-based system. The new initiative will expand this service to include video calls, enabling inmates to see their relatives for 10 minutes each week at a cost of 15 taka.

Officials from the Department of Prisons said the move aims to reduce the financial and emotional burden on families who often travel long distances to visit inmates, spending an average of 3,000 taka per visit. The system will be centrally controlled through software, ensuring security and monitoring. Assistant Inspector General (Development) Md. Jannat-ul Farhad stated that the success of the fingerprint-based calling system encouraged the adoption of IP-based video communication.

Authorities believe the video call service will modernize prison communication, reduce inmate isolation, and strengthen family ties. The installation of IP phones across all prisons is expected to begin soon.

Apple is expected to introduce a new budget-friendly model, the iPhone 17e, as part of its upcoming iPhone 17 series in early 2026, according to international media reports. The device will reportedly feature Apple’s next-generation A19 chip, promising improved gaming, image processing, and AI-driven performance. Analysts suggest that while CPU upgrades will be modest, GPU performance will see significant enhancement. The iPhone 17e is also expected to adopt the dynamic island design, replacing the older notch criticized in the iPhone 16e, giving it a more modern appearance and better notification handling. Camera improvements may include an 18-megapixel front camera with Center Stage support, automatically adjusting framing during video calls or selfies. Although Apple has not officially confirmed pricing or release dates, analysts predict a February 2026 launch, following the company’s usual schedule. In Bangladesh, the current iPhone 16e is priced around 75,000 taka.

The Bangladesh government has decided to ban the import of cloned, stolen, and refurbished mobile phones to curb illegal trade and protect the domestic device industry. The decision was made during a meeting involving the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the Ministry of Commerce, the Posts and Telecommunications Division, and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC). Migrant workers registered with the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) will be allowed to bring up to three phones tax-free, while others can bring two. The government also plans to significantly reduce import duties on legally imported smartphones, currently around 61%, to make them more affordable. Additionally, measures will be taken to align taxes on locally manufactured phones to prevent harm to foreign investments. The new National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) system will take effect on December 16, ensuring only phones with valid IMEI numbers remain active. Authorities also warned citizens to use SIM cards registered in their own names to avoid cybercrime risks.

Turkey has achieved a major milestone in military aviation with the successful test of its unmanned fighter jet, Bayraktar Kizilelma. The aircraft, developed by Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar, became the world’s first unmanned combat jet to successfully fire a radar-guided beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile at a moving jet-powered target. The test, conducted over the Black Sea near Sinop province, used Turkey’s domestically developed ‘Gökdoğan’ missile and the Murad Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system built by defense firm Aselsan. The Kizilelma’s ability to detect, track, and destroy aerial targets without human pilots marks a breakthrough in autonomous air combat technology. Baykar officials stated that this achievement demonstrates Turkey’s growing aerospace capabilities and positions Kizilelma as the first and only unmanned platform officially recognized for air-to-air combat readiness. The test also featured joint flight operations with F-16 fighter jets, signaling a new era of manned-unmanned aerial collaboration.

India’s Ministry of Telecommunications has directed smartphone manufacturers to preinstall a state-owned cybersecurity app called ‘Sanchar Saathi’ on all new devices within 90 days. The app, which cannot be deleted or disabled, is intended to help track and block lost or stolen phones and strengthen cyber threat prevention. However, privacy advocates and industry experts have raised concerns that the mandatory inclusion could compromise user privacy and data security. Companies such as Apple, Google, Samsung, and Xiaomi have yet to comment on the directive. Analysts suggest Apple may seek a compromise, possibly offering users an installation choice instead of a compulsory preinstall. The government maintains that the app’s purpose is purely protective, but critics argue that the inability to remove it raises surveillance and data misuse fears among users.