U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Venezuela will supply between 30 and 50 million barrels of high-quality oil to the United States. He made the statement on Tuesday through his social media platform Truth Social, saying the oil would be sold at market price once brought to the U.S. Trump added that he would personally oversee the use of the proceeds to benefit both the Venezuelan and American people.

The announcement came a day after former Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as interim president. Trump said he had instructed his Energy Secretary, Chris Wright, to implement the plan immediately and that the oil would be transported directly to the United States by ship. According to CBS, representatives of major U.S. petroleum companies plan to meet with the Trump administration later this week.

The move signals a new phase in U.S.-Venezuela energy relations following recent political changes in Caracas, though details of the agreement’s structure and timeline remain unclear.

Partial results from the Jagannath University Central Students’ Union (JAKSU) election show differing leads across key posts. Out of 39 centers, results from 11 have been announced. Chhatra Dal-supported VP candidate A.K.M. Rakib received 1,142 votes, leading Chhatra Shibir-backed Riazul Islam, who secured 1,031 votes, by 111 votes. The results were officially declared by the JAKSU Election Commission at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

In the General Secretary (GS) race, Chhatra Shibir’s Abdul Alim received 1,101 votes, while Chhatra Dal’s Khadijatul Kubra got 570 votes, giving Alim a lead of 531 votes. For the Assistant General Secretary (AGS) position, Chhatra Shibir’s Masud Rana earned 1,020 votes, ahead of Chhatra Dal’s Tanzil with 898 votes, a margin of 122 votes.

The results reflect a mixed trend, with Chhatra Dal leading in the VP race and Chhatra Shibir ahead in the GS and AGS contests. Further results from the remaining centers are yet to be announced.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is confronting internal unrest in Comilla, a district long considered one of its strongholds, as the upcoming parliamentary election approaches. The party has announced candidates for all eleven constituencies in the district, but protests have erupted in five—Comilla-2, Comilla-6, Comilla-7, Comilla-9, and Comilla-10—after several leaders were denied nominations. These demonstrations by excluded aspirants and their supporters have exposed divisions within the party’s local ranks.

Historically, BNP dominated Comilla, winning eight of twelve seats in 1991 and eleven in 2001 as part of an alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami, before dropping to two seats in 2008. Analysts cited in the report suggest that the political landscape shifted after August 5, 2024, with the emergence of rebel and independent candidates weakening BNP’s position and potentially benefiting Jamaat. In several constituencies, including Comilla-1 through Comilla-5, multiple parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, and the National Citizen Party (NCP) are fielding active campaigns.

Local observers believe that unless BNP resolves its internal divisions, it risks losing up to six seats in Comilla to rival or allied groups.

The United States has announced a new update to its visa bond list, adding Bangladesh among 38 countries whose citizens may now be required to deposit a financial bond when applying for a U.S. visa. The updated list was released by the U.S. Department of State on Tuesday, and the new rule will take effect from January 21. Under the policy, applicants from these countries may need to pay between 5,000 and 15,000 U.S. dollars as a visa bond.

According to the announcement, most of the countries included in the list are from Africa, Latin America, and Asia. The visa bond system is designed to discourage visa overstays by requiring a refundable financial guarantee from applicants. The measure is expected to make obtaining U.S. visas more difficult for many citizens of the listed countries.

The newly added countries include Bangladesh, Algeria, Angola, Antigua, Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Nigeria, Senegal, Tajikistan, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of imitating his dance moves and labeled him a violent leader responsible for millions of deaths. Speaking before Republican lawmakers at the Kennedy Arts Center in Washington, Trump claimed Maduro tried to mimic his dance on stage. He also alleged that a torture center once operated in central Caracas but offered no further details.

Trump’s remarks followed a New York Times report suggesting that Maduro’s public dancing despite U.S. threats signaled to White House officials that it was time for tougher action on Venezuela. The Venezuelan leader had been seen dancing to a techno version of the slogan “No war, yes peace” during U.S. troop deployments in the Caribbean in late 2025, while Trump is known for dancing to the disco song “YMCA” at his rallies.

Although Trump praised a recent U.S. special forces operation to detain Maduro and his wife, he did not outline any clear plan for managing Venezuela after Maduro’s fall. Much of his speech focused on preparations for the 2026 midterm elections and his political priorities.

In the Jagannath University Central Students’ Union (JCSU) election, results from eight of the 39 polling centers have been announced. According to the official declaration made by the JCSU Election Commission at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Shibir-backed vice president (VP) candidate Riazul Islam received 810 votes, while Chhatra Dal-backed candidate A.K.M. Rakib secured 804 votes, leaving Riazul ahead by six votes.

Departmental results show varying leads between the two panels. In the Microbiology Department, Riazul received 87 votes against Rakib’s 46, while in the Finance Department, Rakib led with 231 votes to Riazul’s 138. Other departments, including Computer Science, Genetic Engineering, Geography, Anthropology, Public Administration, and Pharmacy, reported mixed outcomes across VP, GS, and AGS positions.

Vote counting was temporarily halted on Tuesday night at 9:20 p.m. due to a technical fault in the counting machine. The process resumed after the issue was resolved, and results were later released following a long interruption.

Venezuelan Interim President Delcy Rodríguez stated on Tuesday that no foreign power governs her country. Speaking on national television, she emphasized that Venezuela is under its own government’s authority and not directed by any external force. Her remarks came amid heightened tensions following a U.S. military operation in the country.

Venezuela’s Prosecutor General Tarek William Saab called for the immediate release of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, describing the U.S. military action as an illegal armed aggression lacking a declaration of war or United Nations Security Council authorization. The Venezuelan government released a list of 24 soldiers killed in the operation, while Cuba reported the deaths of 32 of its military members. Rodríguez declared seven days of national mourning in their memory.

Since Maduro’s detention from his residence, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has not clarified its plans for Venezuela. Trump said the United States would run the country, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that U.S. officials would provide guidance on how it should be governed.

The long-awaited Jagannath University Central Students’ Union (JAKSU) and hall elections concluded peacefully on Tuesday after several postponements. Despite scattered allegations of bias among candidates, voting took place smoothly under tight security and administrative oversight. Voter turnout was lower than expected, with 65 percent casting ballots for the central union and 77 percent for hall councils. However, counting faced delays due to mechanical faults in the Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) machines, preventing the election commission from starting tallying for over six hours.

Vote counting began around 6:15 p.m. but was suspended due to crowding and later halted again when machines produced inconsistent results. The commission and university administration held meetings with candidates and faculty representatives to resolve the issue. Election Commissioner Professor Kaniz Fatema Kakli said a manual count of 300 votes would be cross-checked with two OMR machines to determine which device matched manual results, and counting would proceed accordingly.

The election featured four panels representing different student political affiliations, with 157 candidates competing for 36 positions across the central and hall unions.

The Commission of Inquiry on enforced disappearances submitted its final report to Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus on January 4, 2026, concluding that abductions and secret detentions in Bangladesh were not isolated incidents but part of a planned, coordinated, and sustained state system within the military and security structure. The report states that responsibility extends beyond field-level soldiers to operational units, mid-level commanders, intelligence leadership, and top decision-makers.

According to the commission, field officers executed blindfolded abductions and illegal detentions without formal arrest records, while mid-level commanders and intelligence units maintained and coordinated these operations. The report cites evidence of systematic cooperation among units, including the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). It also rejects claims by senior officers that they were unaware of such activities, noting that detention cells were located near commanding offices and that senior officials regularly inspected them.

The commission concludes that enforced disappearances were used as a political control mechanism rather than for national security. It criticizes the use of military law to avoid accountability, noting that enforced disappearance is not recognized as a crime under that framework.

The Jagannath University Central Students’ Union (JAKSU) election results from six of 39 centers were announced on Wednesday morning. According to the JAKSU Election Commission, Shibir-backed vice president candidate Riazul Islam is leading in five centers with a total of 585 votes, while Chhatra Dal-backed candidate A.K.M. Rakib leads in one center with 547 votes. The vote difference between the two VP candidates across the six centers stands at 38.

The results were declared at around 8:30 a.m. after a temporary suspension of vote counting the previous night due to a technical fault in the counting machine. The issue was resolved, and counting resumed after a long break. Detailed results from departments including Computer Science, Genetic Engineering, Geography, Anthropology, Public Administration, and Pharmacy show close competition between the two panels for VP, GS, and AGS posts.

The election process continues as results from the remaining 33 centers are yet to be published, leaving the final outcome still open.

US President Donald Trump stated that the United States is not waging war against Venezuela but is instead fighting international drug cartels. He made the remarks in an interview with NBC News, according to a report by Russia’s TASS news agency. Trump claimed that US operations are directed at groups involved in drug trafficking and accused some countries of sending drug addicts and mentally ill individuals to the United States after emptying their prisons and mental institutions.

Discussing Venezuela’s political situation, Trump emphasized that the White House does not expect new elections to take place in the country within the next 30 days. He said elections are not possible under the current conditions and that stability must be restored before citizens can safely vote. Trump also named several US officials responsible for Venezuela-related matters, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, and Vice President JD Vance.

Trump noted that each of these officials brings distinct expertise and experience to handling Venezuela-related issues.

The Jagannath University Central Students’ Union (JAKSU) election results for four of 39 centers were announced on Wednesday morning. According to the Election Commission, Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed vice president candidate Riazul Islam is leading in three centers, while Chhatra Dal’s candidate A.K.M. Rakib is ahead in one. The results were declared around 7:45 a.m. after counting resumed following a technical interruption.

In the Geography and Environment, Anthropology, and Pharmacy departments, Riazul Islam secured more votes than his Chhatra Dal rival. In the Public Administration department, however, Rakib gained a narrow lead. Shibir candidates also performed strongly in the General Secretary and Assistant General Secretary positions across several departments. The vote counts varied by department, reflecting a competitive race between the two student organizations.

Vote counting had been temporarily halted the previous night at 9:20 p.m. due to a technical fault in the counting machines. After resolving the issue, the Election Commission resumed the process following a long break, allowing partial results to be released.

An editorial commentary expressed outrage over recent attacks on the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, calling the incidents reckless acts that dishonor the legacy of slain activist Osman Hadi. The author said the violence, carried out by a small group of offenders, endangered the state and undermined Hadi’s struggle. The government was criticized for failing to prevent the attacks, though several suspects have since been arrested.

The piece argued that claims of such attacks being unprecedented were false, listing twelve previous incidents of media suppression or assault since 1972 under various governments. It noted that both local and foreign actors, including diplomats and political parties across the spectrum, condemned the attacks and expressed solidarity with the targeted newspapers. The writer also alleged that elite media and civil society figures enjoy special privileges and foreign support, while smaller outlets face isolation.

The commentary concluded by warning of renewed political polarization and alleged conspiracies against the author’s newspaper, asserting readiness to resist what it described as anti-Islamic and foreign-influenced forces.

BNP-nominated candidate Rashed Khan has said that voting for him in the Jhenaidah-4 constituency means voting for BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman. He made the statement in a video message on Tuesday afternoon, emphasizing that the party’s high command, including Tarique Rahman, nominated him for the seat. Following his nomination, he began his election campaign in the area.

Rashed Khan described Jhenaidah-4 as a BNP-leaning constituency where candidates with the party’s symbol, the paddy sheaf, have previously won multiple times. He said local voters have strong trust in the symbol. He added that although several BNP leaders were interested in contesting from the seat, the party ultimately chose him. Addressing those disappointed by the nomination decision, he called for unity and urged everyone to strengthen the party instead of running as independents.

He further stated that a vote for the paddy sheaf would bring BNP to power, ensuring national progress and fulfilling the dreams of the youth.

Nearly 300 leaders and activists from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement’s Sherpur district branch joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Tuesday afternoon at the Sherpur district BNP office. The group, led by chief coordinator Farhan Fuad Tuhin, was welcomed with flowers by Dr. Sansila Zebrin Priyanka, BNP’s nominated candidate for Sherpur-1 constituency and joint convener of the district BNP, along with Sherpur Sadar Upazila BNP convener Md. Hazrat Ali.

Prominent new members include coordinators Al Mamun Sarkar and Arafat Rahman Talukder, organizer Nahim Ahmed Niloy, and several committee secretaries. Tuhin said their 2024 movement aimed to secure rights and build a new Bangladesh, a vision they now believe BNP chairman Tarique Rahman can realize. Priyanka stated that the BNP’s 31-point plan outlines the framework for rebuilding the country and expressed confidence that the new members’ inclusion would strengthen BNP’s local organizations.

Several district and upazila BNP, volunteer, and student leaders were present at the event, which party representatives said would enhance BNP’s organizational strength in Sherpur.