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.

Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police (DB) announced progress in solving the murder of former Swechchhasebak Dal leader Md. Azizur Rahman Mosabbir, who was shot dead on January 7 in Tejaturi Bazar, Dhaka. Four suspects—Jinnat, Md. Billal Hossain, Abdul Kadir, and Md. Riaz—have been arrested from several districts. DB officials said Jinnat was one of the shooters, Billal coordinated the attack, Kadir helped the accused hide, and Riaz conducted reconnaissance before the incident.

According to DB, Mosabbir and his associate Sufian Bepari Masud were shot near Hotel Super Star, leaving Mosabbir dead and Masud critically injured. The case, filed by Mosabbir’s wife, was transferred to DB for investigation. Police teams used CCTV footage, eyewitness accounts, and technical analysis to identify the suspects. A motorcycle without a number plate and cash were recovered, though the firearm remains missing.

Investigators suspect a business-related dispute behind the killing but are also examining possible political motives and financial links. The DB said efforts continue to arrest a fugitive shooter, recover the weapon, and finalize the charge sheet after evidence analysis.

Senior Assistant Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, Fayez Ahmed, stated that the killing of businessman Moni Chakraborty in Narsingdi was primarily the result of family conflict and business rivalry, not a communal attack as circulated online. He made the remarks during a briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, citing initial assessments by police and the victim’s family that found no communal connection.

Ahmed said false claims had spread on social media portraying the incident as a communal assault because the victim was from the Sanatan religious community. He warned that such misinformation could harm social harmony and create confusion. He noted that similar attempts to disrupt communal unity through fabricated narratives had been observed in recent incidents.

He also mentioned that several prominent citizens had expressed concern over the killing and urged them to verify facts and, if necessary, visit the site before drawing conclusions. Ahmed called on everyone to act responsibly and cautiously to prevent misinformation from damaging communal coexistence.

Police in Ishwardi, Pabna recovered the hanging body of Fasiul Alam Onik, a 22-year-old Chhatra Dal leader, on Sunday evening. The body was found in a rented room at Diyar Sahapur village under Sahapur Union. Onik, son of Mahidul Islam Rana, was a student of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology in Dhaka and served as the ward vice-president of Khilgaon Thana Chhatra Dal.

According to police and local sources, although Onik usually stayed in Dhaka for his studies, he had recently rented a room at the house of Ruhul Driver near his village. When locals noticed no response from his room for a long time, they informed police, who broke open the door and found him hanging from a ceiling fan. Witnesses said one of his feet was on the bed and the other touched the floor, raising questions and mystery in the area.

Ishwardi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Mominuzzaman said the body was sent to Pabna General Hospital morgue for autopsy to determine the cause of death. Legal action will follow after investigation.

A seven-year-old Bangladeshi girl named Afnan was critically injured when a bullet fired from Myanmar struck her home in the Techchibridge area of Hwaikyang Union, Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar. The incident occurred amid intensified fighting between the Arakan Army and a Rohingya armed group in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. Afnan was first treated at the Kutupalong MSF hospital and later transferred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH), where she remains in the intensive care unit. CMCH Director Brigadier General Taslim Uddin said the child was admitted around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday with a gunshot wound to the head and remains in extremely critical condition.

Earlier reports mistakenly claimed the child had died, prompting local protests and road blockades. Police later corrected the information, confirming that Afnan was alive but severely injured. Local authorities and law enforcement intervened to restore calm in the area. The child’s condition remains life-threatening, and doctors are monitoring her closely.

The cross-border incident has heightened tension in the border region, where stray gunfire from Myanmar’s internal conflict continues to pose risks to Bangladeshi civilians.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed seven separate cases accusing 93 individuals of embezzling at least Tk 47 crore from various branches of United Commercial Bank (UCB) PLC. The cases were lodged on Sunday at the ACC’s Chattogram-1 integrated district office. According to the case reports, fake identities of rural farmers, day laborers, and tailors were used to open current accounts and secure loans under the names of non-existent companies such as Hossain Trading, Karnaphuli Emporium, Zahid International, Cat’s Eye Corporation, Shah Trading, Harun & Sons, and Mallik & Brothers.

Investigations revealed that former top UCB officials, branch managers, and credit operations staff were directly involved in the scheme. The fraudulent loans were approved using forged trade licenses, fake documents, and fabricated verification reports prepared by an organized group. The funds were later transferred across accounts and withdrawn in cash. The ACC report also named former UCB director and executive committee chairman Anisuzzaman Chowdhury Rony and former director Bashir Ahmed as directly linked to the scam.

The ACC stated that similar embezzlement cases had been filed earlier and several related investigations remain ongoing.