Two motorcyclists were killed and two others injured when a speeding truck hit a motorcycle from behind in Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha early Thursday night. The accident occurred around midnight on the Dhaka–Rangpur highway at the Fasitla flyover area under Kamardah Union. The truck crushed the motorcycle, killing two riders on the spot. The truck’s helper and another motorcyclist were seriously injured and later taken to Gobindaganj Upazila Health Complex by the local fire service team.

The deceased were identified as Jony Mia, 40, of Buzruk Boalia village in Gobindaganj municipality, and Siddiqur Rahman Siddiq, 42, of Patoa village in Nakai Union. The injured motorcyclist was Shariful Islam, 45, from Dhankhunia village of the same union. Officer-in-Charge Mozzafar Hossain of Gobindaganj Highway Police confirmed the deaths, stating that the victims’ bodies were handed over to their families and the truck involved in the crash was seized.

Police have taken the truck into custody as part of the ongoing investigation into the fatal road accident.

Saudi Arabia’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, known as Nazaha, has arrested 116 government officials on corruption charges following an extensive investigation. The arrests were made after a nationwide campaign in December 2025 targeting bribery and abuse of power. According to a report citing the Arabic daily Okaz, Nazaha questioned 466 individuals as part of the probe.

In an official statement, Nazaha said that 1,440 operations were conducted this month across several ministries, including Interior, Municipal and Rural Affairs, Housing, Education, and Health. The investigation primarily focused on allegations of bribery and misuse of authority. Legal procedures are being completed to hand over the accused to the judiciary, and some detainees have been released on bail under criminal procedure laws.

Nazaha stated that the campaign aims to protect public funds, ensure integrity and accountability, and prevent corruption across the public sector. The authority also urged citizens to report any suspected financial or administrative corruption through its toll-free number 980 or its official website.

Five students of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) were injured when locals from the Sheshmor area attacked them late on Thursday night, January 1. The incident occurred around 11 p.m. as students from Isha Khan Hall went to the area for dinner. Four students from Isha Khan Hall and one from Maulana Bhasani Hall sustained serious injuries and were first treated at the university’s health care center before being transferred to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.

According to the report, the conflict began earlier that morning when several outsiders entered a dormitory compound and were detained by students on suspicion of theft. After intervention by hall authorities, the outsiders were released. Later that night, when students went to Sheshmor, locals obstructed them and began throwing bricks and striking them with iron pipes, injuring two students severely. Witnesses said the attack escalated quickly as more students came out of their halls.

University Proctor Professor Md. Abdul Alim stated that police from Mymensingh Kotwali station were conducting operations in the area and that legal action would be taken against those responsible for the assault.

Law enforcement agencies have recovered 17 active SIM cards from one of the accused in the murder case of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Shahid Sharif Osman Hadi. The identity of the accused has not been disclosed. Following this discovery, security agencies have urged the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to reduce the number of SIM cards allowed per person. The Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology confirmed the matter in a notice issued on Thursday.

The notice stated that the murder of Hadi has caused nationwide concern, prompting calls for the implementation of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) and restrictions on the number of SIMs per user. Hadi was shot in the head on December 12, 2025, in Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area and later died on December 18 after being taken to Singapore for treatment. So far, 11 suspects have been arrested, six of whom have confessed in court.

The government has decided to transfer the case to a speedy trial tribunal, with the charge sheet expected to be submitted by January 7, according to the Home Affairs adviser.

A fish farmer in Muksedpur upazila of Gopalganj has alleged that poison was applied to his ponds, killing fish worth around five lakh taka. The incident occurred early Thursday, January 1, in the Kahaldia Ruitar Beel area under Batikamari Union. Later that afternoon, a written complaint was filed at Muksedpur Police Station naming three individuals as accused.

According to local sources, the victim, Montu Molya of Kahaldia village, had leased five ponds this year for cultivating various native fish species. He claimed that unknown persons poisoned the ponds, destroying all the fish and leaving him financially devastated. The accused in the complaint are Israfil Sheikh, Asad Kazi, and Rafik Sheikh.

Muksedpur Police Station’s second officer, Sukanta Baul, confirmed receiving the complaint and stated that legal action would be taken after investigation.

A police sub-inspector named Abdul Alim died of a heart attack while on duty at the Chapainawabganj Police Lines on Thursday evening. He was being taken to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital when he passed away. Abdul Alim was the son of the late Bander Ali from Baroipara village in Sujanagar upazila of Pabna district and was serving at the Chapainawabganj Police Lines. The officer-in-charge of Chapainawabganj Sadar Police Station, Nure Alam, confirmed the incident.

According to reports, Alim suddenly felt unwell in the afternoon while performing his duties. Fellow police members first took him to the 250-bed Chapainawabganj District Hospital, where doctors found his condition critical and referred him to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. He died on the way to Rajshahi. Dr. Rumali Khatun, emergency medical officer at Chapainawabganj District Hospital, said the officer was admitted after a heart attack and later referred due to his serious condition.

The incident has been officially confirmed by police authorities, and medical officers have detailed the sequence of treatment attempts before his death.

A time-fuse explosive device discovered under the Meghna-Gomti Bridge on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in Daudkandi, Cumilla, was successfully defused by the Anti-Terrorism Unit’s bomb disposal team. The operation took place on Thursday, January 1, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., ensuring the area’s safety throughout the process. Law enforcement confirmed that no casualties or damage occurred during the defusal.

According to police sources, the explosive was first found on December 8 by an army patrol team under the bridge, hidden in bushes. The suspicious object, wrapped in red scotch tape and roughly the size of a tennis ball, weighed an estimated 400 to 500 grams. It was later seized after authorities were notified. The Daudkandi Model Police Station’s officer-in-charge, M Abdul Halim, stated that legal procedures related to the incident are currently underway.

Security measures were heightened in the surrounding area during the disposal operation, and the authorities reported that the situation remained fully under control.

In Dinajpur’s Khansama upazila, a total of 30 unnatural deaths were recorded in 2025, according to police data covering January 1 to December 31. The causes included electrocution (2), hanging (9), drowning (11), poisoning (4), fire (1), wall collapse (1), machinery accident (1), and one unidentified case. Most hanging deaths involved married women, while most drowning victims were children.

Local residents and officials attributed the incidents to family conflict, emotional distress, and lack of awareness. Observers said easy access to pesticides contributed to poisoning cases among adolescents. Health officer Dr. Shafiqul Islam emphasized the need for psychological support and social solutions to family violence. Upazila Executive Officer Md. Kamruzzaman Sarkar noted a decline in such deaths compared to the previous year but stressed that even one death is unacceptable. Police Officer-in-Charge Abdul Baset Sardar said awareness efforts are ongoing to prevent further incidents.

Authorities and community members agreed that improved family communication, mental health care, and moral education could help reduce such tragedies in the future.

Police in Gobindaganj, Gaibandha, arrested seven people, including two leaders of the banned Awami League and five gamblers, during separate overnight raids on Wednesday in Talukkanupur and Shalmara unions. The arrests were made based on secret information, according to local reports.

Those detained include Rezaul Karim, 47, organizational secretary of Talukkanupur Union Awami League and former union council member, and Sarwar Hossain Bepari, 56, former president of Shalmara Union Swechchhasebak League. In a separate operation the same night, police arrested five gamblers—Rabiul Islam, 39, Abdul Jobbar, 62, Madhu Mia, 42, Lichu Mia, 37, and Shariful Islam, 44—from Talukkanupur Bazar along with gambling materials.

Gobindaganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mozammel Haque confirmed the arrests and said all seven detainees were sent to Gaibandha District Jail through the court.

The Cumilla Battalion of Border Guard Bangladesh (10 BGB) seized illegal Indian goods worth about Tk 20 million from Rasulpur Railway Station in Cumilla district. The operation took place on the night of December 31, when a special task force comprising BGB and police members conducted a raid on the Chattala Express train bound for Chattogram. The seized items included fireworks, cosmetics, saris, basmati rice, and snacks, all found without any owner. The seizure was confirmed by Colonel Mir Ali Ejaz, commanding officer of the 10 BGB.

According to BGB sources, the Cumilla Battalion regularly conducts operations to prevent smuggling and cross-border crimes within its assigned border areas. The December 31 operation was carried out in the presence of Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate Rafid Khan, under the leadership of the battalion’s adjutant. The seized goods were valued at Tk 1 crore 86 lakh 68 thousand 670.

Colonel Mir Ali Ejaz stated that necessary legal measures would be taken regarding the confiscated goods and that such anti-smuggling operations would continue.

Police in Mongla, Bagerhat arrested former Sundarban Union Chhatra League vice president Md. Bulbul Fakir during a special operation named 'Devil Hunt Phase-2' on Thursday, January 1. The arrest took place in the Bashatala area of Ward No. 3 under Sundarban Union. The 28-year-old detainee is the son of Md. Akrafil from the same area.

According to police sources, Bulbul Fakir was an active member of the Awami League and previously served as vice president of the local Chhatra League unit. He was detained as part of a regular case under the ongoing special operation. Mongla Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shahinur Rahman Shahin stated that the arrest was made in connection with a regular case and that similar operations will continue to maintain law and order.

Police confirmed that the arrested individual will be presented before the court following legal procedures.

More than 30 people were detained after mobile handset traders attacked and vandalized the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) building in Dhaka’s Agargaon area on Thursday, January 1. The protest erupted around 4 p.m. against the government’s decision to launch the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) without reducing import duties. Police said the protesters threw bricks and stones at the building, breaking windows and damaging property.

Tejgaon Division Deputy Commissioner of Police Ibne Mizan stated that the attack was sudden and that officers were working to bring the situation under control. He added that glass windows of the BTRC mosque were shattered while employees were praying, though no injuries were immediately reported. A BTRC official said several hundred protesters gathered on the street and hurled bricks, trapping staff inside the building even after office hours.

The incident highlights growing tensions between mobile phone traders and authorities over the NEIR initiative, which makes handset registration mandatory. Police have taken control of the situation and detained those involved.

Two associates of the prime accused in the murder of Inqilab Manch spokesman Shahid Sharif Osman Hadi have confessed their involvement before a Dhaka court. On Thursday, January 1, Metropolitan Magistrate Jamshed Alam recorded the confessional statements of Sanjay Chisim and Md. Faisal after they were produced in court. The investigating officer, DB Police Inspector Faisal Ahmed, had applied to record their statements, after which the court sent both to jail.

Earlier, the Rapid Action Battalion recovered the weapon used in the attempted murder from Tarua Beel in Narsingdi district and arrested Faisal, who is a friend of the main accused Faisal Karim Masud’s brother-in-law. The case was initially filed as an attempted murder case on December 14 by Abdullah Al Jaber, member secretary of Inqilab Manch, and later upgraded under Section 302. So far, ten people have been arrested in connection with the case.

Among the arrested, six others have already confessed, while the main accused Faisal Karim Masud has been barred by the court from leaving the country.

A Dhaka court has ordered the seizure of a multi-storey building and land in Gulshan owned by Afroza Begum, wife of Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, following corruption allegations. The Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court, presided over by Acting Judge Md. Alamgir, issued the order on Thursday, January 1, in response to a petition from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The order also includes the confiscation of 3.377 acres of land in the Vatara area of Dhaka.

According to court information, ACC Deputy Director Md. Jahangir Alam filed the petition seeking the seizure, citing money laundering allegations against Sobhan and his associates. A ten-member investigation team has been formed to probe the allegations. Investigators reportedly found evidence suggesting that Sobhan and his family members own substantial illegal assets both in Bangladesh and abroad.

The court noted that Afroza Begum was attempting to transfer ownership of her immovable properties, which could undermine the ongoing investigation and potential legal proceedings. The seizure was therefore deemed necessary to ensure fair investigation and justice.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized Indian cattle and a large quantity of Eskaf syrup during special operations in Lalmonirhat’s border areas under the 15 BGB Battalion. The operations took place early Thursday near the Durgaipur and Burirhat Border Outposts (BOPs). Around 3:40 a.m., smugglers attempted to enter Bangladesh with cattle through the Chowratari area but fled when challenged by a BGB patrol, leaving behind three Indian cows. Another patrol at 3:30 a.m. in Khamarbhati area recovered 170 bottles of Indian Eskaf syrup after smugglers abandoned their goods and escaped toward India.

According to the 15 BGB Battalion, a total of six Indian cows worth approximately Tk 660,000 and 170 bottles of Eskaf syrup valued at Tk 68,000 were seized, with a combined estimated value of Tk 728,000. The identification of the smugglers and legal proceedings against them are ongoing.

Lieutenant Colonel Mehedi Imam, commanding officer of the 15 BGB Battalion, stated that BGB remains vigilant to keep the youth free from drugs and has intensified intelligence surveillance and patrols in sensitive border areas to prevent smuggling and drug trafficking.