A seven-year-old Bangladeshi girl named Afnan has been placed on life support after being critically injured by gunfire that crossed into Bangladesh from Myanmar’s ongoing internal conflict. The incident occurred in the Hwaikyang border area of Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, on Sunday afternoon. She was brought to Chittagong Medical College Hospital around 4:30 p.m. in critical condition, where doctors performed emergency surgery on her head that night.

Hospital Director Brigadier General Taslim Uddin confirmed that the bullet struck Afnan’s head, leaving her in a highly critical state. A CT scan and emergency operation were conducted, and she was later placed on life support due to deterioration. Earlier in the day, rumors of her death spread in the area, prompting local unrest.

The shooting followed intense clashes between the Arakan Army and Rohingya armed groups in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, which escalated Saturday night. A stray bullet from the Myanmar side hit Afnan’s home in the Techchibridge area. Local residents staged protests after hearing of her supposed death, but law enforcement and community leaders later restored calm.

A Bangladeshi fisherman was seriously injured in a landmine explosion on Monday morning near the Hwaikyang border area of Teknaf upazila in Cox’s Bazar. The victim, Mohammad Hanif, 22, from Lombabil area of Hwaikyang Union, lost his right leg in the blast that occurred between Shahjahan’s Island and Hansher Island on the Bangladeshi side of the Naf River.

According to family and local sources, Hanif was fishing with nets and a boat when the landmine exploded, leaving him critically wounded. His father, Fazal Karim, confirmed the incident and claimed the mine had been planted by the Arakan Army. Locals rescued Hanif and took him to the MSF hospital in Kutupalong, Ukhiya, for initial treatment before he was referred to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital for advanced care.

Following the incident, agitated locals blocked the Cox’s Bazar–Teknaf highway for about half an hour before traffic resumed. No official statement was available from the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) regarding the explosion.

A Dhaka court has acquitted actress Mehazabien Chowdhury and her brother Alishan Chowdhury in a case filed by a businessman alleging threats and intimidation. The order was issued on Monday by Dhaka District Executive Magistrate Md Adnan Zulfikar after a hearing. Earlier, the siblings had surrendered and secured bail on November 16 of the previous year. The court had set January 12 for submission of their written response, which was found satisfactory, leading to their release from the case.

According to the complainant’s lawyer Raihan Gazi Noyon, the actress and her brother submitted a written undertaking promising not to issue further threats, which the court accepted before granting acquittal. Defense lawyer Tuhin Howlader stated that the court found their explanation satisfactory. The case was filed under sections 107 and 117(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code after the complainant, businessman Amirul Islam, alleged that Mehazabien and her brother had taken 2.7 million taka under a business pretext and later threatened him when he demanded repayment.

The court’s decision effectively ends the proceedings, contingent on the defendants’ compliance with their written undertaking.

A Dhaka court has granted two additional days to Abdullah Al Jaber, member secretary of Inqilab Moncho, to review the Detective Branch (DB) police charge sheet in the murder case of the platform’s spokesperson, Shahid Sharif Osman Bin Hadi. The plaintiff appeared before the court on January 12 and sought more time, after which Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam set January 15 for the hearing on the charge sheet’s acceptability. Three state-appointed lawyers—Abdus Sobhan Torofdar, Barrister S.M. Moinul Karim, and Assistant Attorney General Mostafizur Rahman Mukul—have been assigned to represent the plaintiff.

According to the case, DB Inspector Faisal Ahmed submitted the charge sheet on January 6 against 17 accused. The main accused, Faisal Karim Masud alias Dawood, and five others remain absconding, while 11 are in custody. The case stems from the December 12 shooting of Hadi in Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area, after which he was treated in Dhaka and later in Singapore, where he died on December 18.

The court will decide on January 15 whether to accept the charge sheet or raise objections.

Police in Tongibari upazila of Munshiganj arrested a man for operating a secret yaba manufacturing factory inside a rented house. The raid took place around 10 p.m. on Sunday in Dakshin Betka village under the leadership of Officer-in-Charge Monirul Haque Dablur. The arrested man, identified as Md. Firoz, aged between 35 and 37, is the son of Abu Taher from Dhaka’s Basabo area. Police recovered 800 yaba tablets, 25 grams of crystal meth, modern production machines, and a large quantity of chemicals from the site.

Investigations revealed that Firoz had been involved in drug trafficking in Dhaka for nearly a decade and had several drug-related cases filed against him. About five years ago, he moved to Tongibari to hide and secretly set up the factory inside a concrete building. Police said Firoz brought modern yaba-making equipment from Hong Kong six to seven months ago and imported hazardous chemicals via courier to start production.

According to police, Firoz admitted during interrogation that he had recently begun producing and attempting to distribute yaba. Authorities are now working to identify and arrest other members of the network based on his information.

Two unidentified bodies were recovered from the Atrai River at the border of Dinajpur Sadar and Chirirbandar upazilas on Monday morning. Local residents discovered the floating bodies around 7 a.m. while heading to work and informed the Chirirbandar police after pulling them ashore. Police officials, including the officer-in-charge (investigation) Ahsan Habib, arrived at the scene and began preparations to send the bodies for autopsy.

According to police, the cause of death and the identities of the deceased remain unknown. No family members have yet come forward to claim the bodies. Local residents suspect that the victims may have been killed elsewhere and dumped in the river, as the waterway has little current, making it unlikely for bodies to drift naturally.

Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the victims’ identities and the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

The Habiganj Battalion (55 BGB) seized Indian goods worth Tk 15.5 million during an operation in Jagdishpur, Madhabpur upazila of Habiganj, along the Dhaka-Sylhet highway. The operation took place on Sunday evening following a tip-off, according to a BGB press release issued at night. The seized items included various cosmetics, sarees, and cumin seeds hidden inside a truck loaded with old paper cartons.

The BGB patrol team conducted the raid around 5 p.m. at the Jagdishpur Muktijoddha Chattar area, uncovering the smuggled goods concealed in an unusual manner. The seized products are currently being processed for handover to the customs authorities for further action.

The operation highlights ongoing efforts by border security forces to curb illegal cross-border trade and smuggling activities along key transport routes in the region.

Two unexploded hand grenades were recovered on Sunday, January 11, from the yard of a house under construction in Bara Gariyala village of Jhenaidah Sadar upazila. Construction workers discovered the grenades while digging soil and immediately informed the local police camp. A joint security team later arrived at the scene and safely recovered the grenades, which are now kept at Jhenaidah Sadar Police Station.

House owner Babu Mia said the workers found two round metallic objects while digging and reported them to the police. Officer-in-Charge Md. Samsul Arefin of Jhenaidah Sadar Police Station stated that the grenades are believed to have remained buried since the 1971 Liberation War. He added that the grenades will be neutralized later by the bomb disposal unit of the joint forces.

Authorities have secured the area and are preparing for the safe disposal of the explosives to prevent any potential danger to local residents.

At least eight people were injured in a violent clash between residents of Palgaon and Naljuri villages in Mohanganj upazila of Netrokona on Sunday morning. The conflict erupted over a dispute regarding tractor plowing of farmland. Several houses were reportedly attacked and vandalized during the incident. Police arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control, according to Mohanganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Hafizul Islam Harun.

Local sources said the dispute began three to four days earlier when farmers from the two villages argued over the use of a tractor for cultivation. Attempts at local arbitration failed to resolve the tension. On Sunday morning, more than a hundred villagers from both sides engaged in a confrontation using local weapons, leaving eight people injured. The injured were taken to the upazila health complex for treatment.

Police confirmed that the situation is now under control and normal. No formal complaint has yet been filed, but authorities stated that an investigation and necessary action will follow if a complaint is received.

Jamaat-e-Islami activist Jamal Uddin was shot dead in Fatikchhari, Chattogram, on Saturday evening in what investigators believe was a planned targeted killing. According to police, three assailants arrived on a motorcycle and fired multiple shots from close range, hitting Jamal in the head and neck. Thirteen bullet wounds were found, and he died instantly at the scene in Shahnogor Dighirpar area of Lelang Union.

Police said the attack was executed with precision, suggesting the killers were professionals. Jamal, son of Muhammad Yusuf of Lelang village, ran a garment business in the city and was known locally as a businessman. However, police confirmed his name had appeared in three unresolved murder cases from 2001. Fatikchhari Jamaat’s Naib-e-Ameer Ismail Gani described the killing as politically motivated and demanded an impartial investigation.

Local representatives said the attackers were highly organized and escaped quickly. The incident has caused widespread fear in the area, with residents avoiding going out after dark. Police stated they are close to identifying the perpetrators and expect arrests soon.

A young man was killed in a train accident on Sunday morning in Netrakona Sadar, marking the third fatality on the Dhaka-Mohanganj railway line within 14 hours. The incident occurred around 8:30 a.m. near Raju’s Bazar area of Paur town. The victim, Yasin Ahmed Sayem, 20, son of Ruhul Amin from Dhanpur village in Barhatta upazila, fell from the door of the moving Haor Express train bound for Dhaka. He died on the spot, and police later sent his body to Netrakona Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Earlier, on Saturday evening, two laborers were killed when a train hit them near Challisha Bazar on the same route. The deceased were identified as Akash Roy, 24, from Dinajpur’s Churiyapara village, and Rasel Mia, 25, from Sherpur district. According to police, the two men were standing beside the railway track when the Mohanganj Express train from Dhaka struck them. Locals took the injured to Netrakona Modern Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared them dead.

Police said legal procedures are underway regarding the fatalities.

Eight suspected militants were killed on Sunday in multiple counterterrorism operations conducted jointly by police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) across Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The operations took place in the tribal districts of Bannu, Khyber, and Zahir Garhi, according to a report by Geo News. Authorities said the suspects were involved in attacks on security forces, and a large cache of weapons and equipment was recovered from the sites.

According to the Central Police Office, two militants were killed in Bannu during an operation by local police and the CTD. These individuals had earlier attacked police posts in Sheikh Lindak and Fatah Khel. In Khyber, three militants were killed while allegedly preparing to attack police, and three rifles were seized. Another three militants were killed in Zahir Garhi near Peshawar, while their accomplices managed to escape.

The coordinated operations reflect ongoing efforts by Pakistani security forces to curb militant activity in the region, which has seen repeated attacks on law enforcement in recent months.

Battery-powered rickshaws have become a major source of public concern in Dhaka, operating across main roads, alleys, and flyovers despite a High Court order banning them. Following an appeal, the Appellate Division allowed their temporary operation, leading to increased reckless driving. According to private estimates, about 1.2 million rickshaws operate in the capital, a large portion of them battery-powered and mostly brought from nearby districts. Road Safety Foundation reported 1,856 accidents involving such rickshaws between January and November 2025, causing 1,259 deaths and over 4,000 injuries.

Experts and city officials cited unskilled drivers, including minors and laborers from other professions, as a key cause of frequent accidents. The vehicles are also being used by muggers, prompting police to increase checkpoints. Dhaka Metropolitan Police said 400–450 rickshaws are being impounded daily, with batteries seized and wires cut to enforce road discipline.

Urban planners and city authorities have proposed structural redesigns, driver training, and a registration policy. Both city corporations plan to train 200,000 drivers and introduce color-coded regional permits to bring e-rickshaw operations under legal regulation.

Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has nearly completed its investigation into former Special Branch (SB) chief Monirul Islam, who fled to India after the July 2024 uprising. The probe found evidence that Monirul embezzled about Tk 1,035 crore from two Islamic NGOs—Kuwait Society for Relief (KSR) and Sharjah Charity International—by taking control of them in 2021 under the pretext of investigating terror financing. The ACC said he laundered the funds through accounts held by his wife, former additional secretary Sayla Farzana, his brother-in-law Rezaul Alam Shahin, and his sister-in-law.

According to the ACC, the Middle East–based NGOs had received large foreign donations for Rohingya relief and rehabilitation. Monirul allegedly diverted these funds to accounts linked to his relatives and their firms, including S.S. Enterprise and Tanvir Dairy Farm. Investigators also found 35 apartments registered under his wife and brother-in-law’s names, along with multiple fixed deposits and savings accounts showing irregular transactions.

The ACC has collected relevant bank documents and is preparing to file charges under money laundering and corruption laws. Officials said legal action will follow once the final report is completed.

Tax inspector Ruma Parvin has been compulsorily retired following allegations of forging a government order and submitting a fake passport to travel to Australia. The decision was made under a presidential directive and signed by NBR member (Tax Administration and Human Resource Management) GM Abul Kalam Kaykobad. The order, issued on January 7 and published on the NBR website on Sunday, stated that the misconduct was proven under the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules.

According to the official notice, Parvin forged the signature and reference number of NBR Second Secretary Jasim Uddin to issue a fake government order (GO) and applied for a visa at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi. When the High Commission sought verification on April 18, 2023, the NBR confirmed the document was fake. A departmental case was filed, and after investigation and hearings, the allegations were found to be true.

The report also noted that Parvin falsely claimed her passport was lost, though it was submitted to the Australian High Commission. The Public Service Commission concurred with the decision to retire her compulsorily after her explanations were deemed unsatisfactory.