The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has cancelled the route permits of three launches operating in the Barishal region following two separate fatal river accidents. The affected vessels are Sundarban-16 on the Barishal–Dhaka route, Adventure-9 on the same route, and Zakir Samrat-3 on the Bhola–Dhaka route. The decision came after a head-on collision between Adventure-9 and Zakir Samrat-3 on the Meghna River in Chandpur’s Haimchar area early Thursday, which left four passengers dead. A separate incident occurred the same night in Narayanganj’s Fatullah, where Sundarban-16 collided with a sand-laden bulkhead on the Buriganga River, causing the bulkhead to sink and killing two workers.

BIWTA’s Barishal traffic inspector Md. Julfikar confirmed the cancellation and said a committee has been formed to investigate the accidents. Police have seized the Sundarban-16 launch and detained its staff following the Buriganga collision. Preparations are also underway to file legal cases related to the incidents.

The cancellations reflect BIWTA’s immediate response to the recent fatalities and aim to ensure accountability and safety in inland water transport operations.

Cumilla District Detective Branch (DB) police arrested seven members of an inter-district robbery gang, including its ringleader, while they were preparing for a robbery at Iliotganj Bazar in Daudkandi upazila. The operation took place at 1:05 a.m. on Friday night following a tip-off. Police seized an unregistered blue-yellow pickup truck, locally made weapons, and other equipment used for robbery. Several other suspects managed to flee the scene.

Based on interrogation, police later recovered a locally made firearm and two rounds of cartridges from the house of the gang leader, Md. Saddam Hossain. Officer-in-Charge M. Abdul Halim of Daudkandi Model Police Station said two separate cases were filed under Penal Code sections 399/402 and the Arms Act. The arrested individuals are accused in multiple robbery cases across Cumilla, Feni, Chattogram, Noakhali, Mymensingh, Gazipur, Chandpur, and Lakshmipur districts.

Police stated that operations are ongoing to capture the remaining fugitives involved in the gang’s criminal activities.

International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Advocate Tazul Islam has reaffirmed his determination to capture those responsible for killings. On Saturday, he expressed this commitment through a verified Facebook post, declaring that justice will not be defeated and that the perpetrators will be brought to account regardless of where they hide.

The post, shared on December 27, 2025, reflects the prosecutor’s continued resolve to ensure justice under the tribunal’s mandate. His statement emphasized that no distance or concealment would protect the accused from facing justice. The message was framed as a strong assurance of accountability and faith in the judicial process.

The declaration comes amid ongoing discussions about justice and accountability in Bangladesh, underscoring the tribunal’s ongoing efforts to pursue those accused of serious crimes.

More than 100 passengers were rescued after a passenger launch became stranded on a shoal in the middle of the Padma River due to dense fog on Friday night. The vessel, named ‘ML Mizanur,’ had departed from Daulatdia launch terminal in Rajbari’s Goalanda upazila for Paturia in Manikganj around 7:45 p.m. when it lost direction near the Kolbagan area opposite Daulatdia ferry terminal No. 7. Responding to a 999 call, a team from the Daulatdia River Police began a rescue operation using a trawler despite poor visibility.

According to police sources, the rescue team, led by SI Mehedi Hasan Apurbo and ASI Ashok Dutta, reached the stranded launch around midnight with the help of artificial lighting. Passengers were safely transferred to trawlers and brought to the Daulatdia bus stand area. Officer-in-Charge Trinath Saha confirmed that no injuries or damage occurred during the incident.

Authorities temporarily suspended all ferry and water transport operations on the Padma River due to the heavy fog. The Daulatdia River Police continued public announcements and maintained round-the-clock safety measures in the area.

Two female students at Kolkata’s Jadavpur University have alleged that they were harassed for wearing hijabs during an English examination. According to the report, the head of the English department, Shashwati Haldar, ordered one student to remove her hijab in a crowded classroom after another student was found with a headphone. Despite the student’s denial, she was taken to another room and searched, but no prohibited items were found. A second hijab-wearing student faced similar treatment and was subjected to uncomfortable questions. Both students said the incident caused them to lose 15–20 minutes of exam time.

Following the incident, fellow students staged a protest during the university convocation, holding posters reading “My Body My Choice” and “Say No to Islamophobia.” They also submitted a complaint to the vice-chancellor, condemning the selective search of only hijab-wearing students while others with hoodies and coats were not checked. The report described the event as part of a growing trend of Islamophobia in West Bengal, comparing it to incidents in other Indian states.

The article also referenced a recent case in Bihar where a minister publicly removed a woman’s hijab, highlighting broader concerns about minority treatment in India.

Two separate fires broke out within one night at Rohingya camps in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, destroying a hospital and at least five houses. The first incident occurred early Friday at the D Block of Madhurchhara Camp No. 4, where a hospital was completely burned down along with valuable medical equipment. Firefighters and local residents brought the blaze under control after about two and a half hours. The previous night, another fire at Kutupalong registered camp’s B Block destroyed five houses. No casualties were reported in either incident.

The destroyed hospital, known as Obat Health Post, was established in 2017 by Obat Helpers USA for newly displaced Rohingya refugees. It was being operated by Obat Helpers Bangladesh with support from Human International USA and the camp administration. Officials said the cause of the fire remains under investigation. Local residents expressed deep concern as the facility had been a key source of free healthcare for both Rohingya and nearby communities.

Authorities have pledged to rehabilitate the damaged health center quickly and prepare a list of affected individuals for necessary assistance.

A major fire broke out on the passenger ship MV Atlantic bound for Saint Martin from Cox’s Bazar early Saturday morning. The incident occurred at 6:20 a.m. at the North Nuniachhara BIWTA jetty, just before passengers were to board. Fire Service, Coast Guard, district administration, BIWTA, and Department of Environment officials brought the blaze under control around 9:30 a.m.

According to officials, the MV Atlantic and another vessel, LCT Kajol, were scheduled to carry 194 passengers to Saint Martin Island. After the fire, more than a hundred passengers were transferred to other ships—Keari Cruise & Dine, Keari Sindbad, and Bay Cruise. Nasir Uddin, an official of Atlantic Bay Cruise, said the fire started suddenly in the engine room while the ship was moving from anchorage to the jetty, though the cause remains unknown.

Authorities announced that passengers unable to travel on Saturday would be sent to Saint Martin on Sunday to avoid disorder. Senior district officials, including the Additional District Magistrate, visited the site following the incident.

Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed several cases against former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal’s son, Shafi Modassir Khan Jyoti, for allegedly amassing vast illegal wealth and manipulating government tenders. Following the July Revolution, the ACC began investigating senior figures of the former Awami League government, identifying Jyoti as a key suspect. He was arrested in Ashulia on 14 September 2024 while reportedly planning to flee the country. ACC investigations found that Jyoti and his father possessed undeclared assets worth nearly Tk 20 crore and conducted suspicious transactions exceeding Tk 84 crore through various bank accounts.

The ACC’s probe revealed that Jyoti controlled a network led by his associate Selim, who managed tender manipulation and bribery across law enforcement and public procurement sectors. The syndicate allegedly extorted money from businesses, including restaurants in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi and Karwan Bazar areas. ACC has also submitted a charge sheet accusing Kamal, his wife, and children of acquiring Tk 22 crore in illegal assets and laundering Tk 87 crore. Further cases allege Tk 60 crore in unaccounted wealth and over Tk 416 crore in suspicious transactions linked to the family.

ACC officials confirmed that investigations into Jyoti and his associates’ corruption activities remain ongoing.

Police in Ramu upazila of Cox’s Bazar arrested six Rohingya men on Friday, December 26, during a special operation that uncovered two live rounds of G-4 rifle ammunition. The arrests took place at a temporary police checkpoint set up in the Pine Garden area of Khuniapalong Union’s Ward No. 1 along the Ramu–Maricha road. Officers stopped a passenger CNG auto-rickshaw around 2:40 p.m. and found the bullets in the right pocket of one passenger, identified as Md. Alam, 35.

According to police, the detainees admitted during initial questioning that they were traveling from Ukhiya to Naikhyangchhari via Ramu with the recovered ammunition. Preliminary investigation suggested that the group was involved in illegal arms trading and other criminal activities. All six detainees are Rohingya refugees—five from Ukhiya’s Kutupalong camp and one from Teknaf’s Thaingkhali camp.

Ramu Police Station Officer-in-Charge Manjurul Islam Bhuiyan said a case is being prepared against the suspects, and further investigation is underway to identify their associates and others linked to the network.

A woman and her infant daughter were killed in a multi-vehicle collision on the Dhaka-Tangail Highway at Gorai in Mirzapur upazila on Friday evening. The victims were identified as Sadia Kabir, 37, wife of Jisan Kabir Tipu from Feni, and their 10-month-old daughter Tajria Kabir Piyom. Police and witnesses said Sadia was returning to Mirpur, Dhaka, from a wedding in Tangail when their white private car collided with a truck ahead of it near the eastern side of the Gorai flyover.

Following the initial crash, another private car hit their vehicle from behind, and a bus then struck a red private car involved in the sequence. Sadia and her daughter died on the spot. The accident caused a traffic jam on the highway, which police later cleared using a wrecker. The truck involved was seized, while its driver fled the scene.

According to Gorai Highway Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sohel Sarwar, four vehicles collided sequentially, resulting in two fatalities. The bodies will be handed over to the family after legal procedures.

A fire that broke out at the Khaddar Bazar Shopping Complex in Gulistan, Dhaka, was brought under control after about one and a half hours on Friday, December 26. The Fire Service managed to contain the blaze at 6:58 p.m., after receiving the first report at 5:28 p.m. The first response team arrived at the scene within five minutes, and a total of nine units from the Siddik Bazar Fire Station worked to extinguish the fire.

The upper floors of the commercial building contained warehouses, raising fears that the fire could spread quickly. Panic spread among shopkeepers and customers on the lower floors, prompting them to evacuate the building immediately. Firefighters initially faced difficulties in accessing water sources due to heavy crowds on the road.

Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the fire or the extent of the damage, and an assessment is expected once the site is fully secured.

Police in Lakshmipur have arrested Md. Rubel, 41, the elder brother of Abdul Aziz Hakim, general secretary of the Sadar Upazila Chhatra League, for setting fire to the district election office under a 10,000 taka contract. The arrest was announced by Superintendent of Police Md. Abu Tarek during a press briefing on Friday, December 26, 2025. Rubel, a resident of Ward 10 in Lakshmipur Municipality, allegedly carried out the arson on instructions from Shimul Chakraborty, the late MP Shahajahan Kamal’s APS.

According to police, Rubel received 2,000 taka before the incident and was paid the remaining 8,000 taka afterward. When presented before court, Rubel confessed to setting the fire and was subsequently sent to jail. The arson occurred on the night of December 12, when a masked man was seen on CCTV footage igniting the election office. Investigators later identified Rubel and arrested him from his home through a special operation by the detective branch.

Authorities have not yet disclosed further details about the motive or whether additional suspects are being investigated.

Four passengers were killed and at least fifteen others injured when two passenger launches collided in dense fog on the Meghna River near Chandpur’s Haimchar area early Thursday, December 25. The accident occurred around 2 a.m. near Banglabazar in Nilkomol Union, involving the Bhola-to-Dhaka bound MV Zakir Samrat-3 and the Dhaka-to-Barishal bound MV Adventure-9. Witnesses said heavy fog blanketed the river, causing the Adventure-9 to lose direction and crash into the Zakir Samrat-3, which was severely damaged and left partially submerged. Another vessel, MV Karnaphuli-9, rescued many passengers and continued toward Dhaka.

Chandpur River Police Assistant Superintendent Imtiaz Ahmed confirmed four fatalities, all passengers of the Zakir Samrat-3. Police later seized the Adventure-9 when it reached Jhalakathi via Barishal. The Chandpur River Police Officer-in-Charge said both launches left the scene before authorities arrived. BIWTA officials suggested dense fog was the likely cause of the collision.

A government naval adviser was expected to inspect the damaged launch at Sadarghat following the incident, as authorities began investigating the cause and safety lapses.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) recovered 24 electric detonators from the Charagaon border area in Sunamganj’s Tahirpur upazila on Friday morning, acting on a tip-off. The explosives were found wrapped in polythene at Maizhati, near the border, around 8 a.m. According to BGB officials, the recovered items are capable of being used to make high-powered improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Lieutenant Colonel AKM Zakaria Kadir, commander of the 28 BGB Battalion in Sunamganj, stated that the operation was based on secret intelligence. He said the detonators were likely smuggled into Bangladesh with the intention of destabilizing the country’s current situation and carrying out acts of sabotage.

Authorities suspect the explosives were imported illegally through border smuggling networks. The recovery highlights ongoing security challenges along the Sunamganj frontier and the vigilance of border forces in preventing potential threats.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) 42 Dinajpur Battalion conducted a special anti-smuggling operation late on December 25 and recovered a large quantity of banned Indian Tapentadol tablets from the Pirganj border area in Thakurgaon district. According to a BGB press release, the tablets were found abandoned about 500 yards inside Bangladesh near border pillar 340/3-S in Guchhagram area. The seized consignment contained 198 pieces of the narcotic tablets, valued at 59,400 taka. Legal proceedings regarding the recovered drugs and the absconding individuals are underway.

Lieutenant Colonel Abdullah Al Moin Hasan, commanding officer of the 42 Dinajpur Battalion, stated that legal action is in process concerning the seized narcotics. He added that intelligence efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend the drug traffickers who fled the scene.

The BGB emphasized that the operation was based on specific intelligence information and forms part of its ongoing campaign to curb cross-border drug smuggling in northern Bangladesh.