The D-Unit admission test for the 2025–2026 academic session at Jagannath University (JnU) was held on Friday, January 9, in a peaceful and orderly manner. The test, for the Faculty of Social Sciences, took place across six centers including Jagannath University, Banglabazar Government Girls High School, Dhaka Collegiate School, Mohanagar Mohila College, Lalmatia Mohila College, and Wills Little Flower School and College.

A total of 25,826 candidates applied for 610 available seats under the D-Unit, and 22,438 students attended the exam, resulting in an attendance rate of 86.88 percent, approximately 87 percent. During the examination, Vice-Chancellor Professor Md. Rezaul Karim (PhD) visited various halls at the JnU center to observe the overall situation and inquire about the candidates’ experiences.

Treasurer Professor Dr. Sabina Sharmin, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences Professor Dr. Sanjida Farhana, Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies Professor Dr. Muhammad Manzur Murshed Bhuiya, and Acting Registrar Professor Dr. Sheikh Gias Uddin were also present during the inspection.

Tarique Rahman has officially taken charge as the chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The decision was made on Friday night at the BNP chairperson’s political office in Gulshan, following a meeting of the party’s National Standing Committee. Rahman, who had been serving as acting chairman, assumed the role in accordance with the party’s constitution.

The chairmanship became vacant after the death of BNP chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. In response, the BNP’s National Standing Committee convened to address the vacancy. During the meeting, members unanimously decided to appoint Tarique Rahman as the new chairman, formalizing his leadership position within the party.

The appointment marks a continuation of leadership within the party’s existing framework, as Rahman transitions from acting to full chairman under the BNP’s constitutional process.

A prolonged 17-day cold wave and dense fog have severely affected Boro rice seedbeds in Saghata upazila of Gaibandha, causing cold injury and damaging seedlings across several unions. Farmers reported that seedlings have turned yellow, growth has slowed, and in some areas, seedbeds have completely rotted. The situation has created uncertainty about timely transplantation of seedlings for the current season.

Farmers said the lack of sunlight and low nighttime temperatures have hindered normal growth, while stagnant water in fields has worsened the cold’s impact. Many expressed concern that rebuilding seedbeds would require extra time and cost. Local farmers, including Abdul Mannan of Bonarpara and Mostafizur Rahman of Kochua, said their seedlings are dying despite protective measures like covering with straw and polythene.

According to the Saghata Agriculture Office, about 1,850 hectares were targeted for Boro cultivation this season, with 927 hectares already prepared. Upazila Agriculture Officer Md. Asaduzzaman said cold injury has appeared but the overall risk of major loss is low. Farmers have been advised to apply light irrigation in the evening, drain water in the morning, and cover seedbeds when necessary.

A wave of protest erupted among Bangladesh’s national cricketers after Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director M Nazmul Islam called former national captain Tamim Iqbal an “Indian agent” on social media. The comment came after Tamim suggested that decisions about Bangladesh’s participation in international cricket, including the T20 World Cup in India, should consider the country’s position and future in world cricket.

Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam expressed shock at the director’s words, calling them tasteless, unacceptable, and contrary to the nation’s cricket culture. He demanded a public apology and accountability for the official. Former captain Mominul Haque echoed the same demand, describing the remark as offensive and inconsistent with the board’s ethics and responsibilities. Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed also criticized the statement, saying such comments were not in the best interest of Bangladesh cricket.

The controversy has intensified calls for the BCB to take swift and firm action against the director, with players urging greater professionalism and responsibility from board officials.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has begun an emergency meeting of its Standing Committee on Friday night, chaired by acting chairman Tarique Rahman. The meeting started around 9:30 p.m., according to reports. Earlier, committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku confirmed to the media that the meeting had been called but did not disclose its agenda.

The meeting comes days after BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told journalists in Sylhet on January 4 that Tarique Rahman would be formally elected as party chairman within a few days. Although the BNP constitutionally recognizes Rahman as the automatic successor to the chairmanship following Khaleda Zia’s imprisonment in February 2018, the party has yet to make an official announcement or use the chairman title publicly. This uncertainty has also affected campaign materials, as it remains unclear whose image should appear on banners and posters.

The emergency session is expected to address internal organizational matters, but no official details of the discussion have been released.

The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh has issued a circular to ensure the confidentiality of ballot papers and the security of election materials ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum. The directive, signed by Mohammad Monir Hossain, Deputy Secretary of the EC Secretariat’s Election Management-2 branch, was released on Thursday. It outlines procedures for verifying election materials, distributing them to polling centers, and maintaining strict confidentiality of official and brass seals.

According to the circular, ballot papers supplied from the BG Press, Government Printing Press, or Security Printing Press must be checked against Form-5 to verify candidate names and symbols before being securely stored until distribution to presiding officers. The EC also instructed that official and brass seals, which carry security code numbers, be recorded and preserved confidentially at every stage. Assistant returning officers must document seal codes and impressions in distribution registers, while presiding officers must store seal details in designated envelopes within secure bags.

The circular emphasizes that all election materials, including indelible ink, stamp pads, and seals, must be handled with utmost care to maintain transparency and prevent any breach of ballot secrecy.

The Bogura Auto Major and Husking Mill Owners Association has submitted a memorandum to the district commissioner accusing the district food controller of demanding bribes from rice mill owners. The complaint alleges that officials sought between Tk 400 and Tk 700 per ton of rice supplied to government warehouses, sparking widespread anger among mill owners. The memorandum, sent on December 28, details that during a December 9 meeting at the Bogura Food Building, the district warehouse officer instructed mill owners to pay the bribe.

According to the document, when mill owners refused to pay Tk 600 per ton, tensions escalated. On December 23, the food controller allegedly summoned a local association leader to his office to demand his share and verbally abused him when he refused. The memorandum also accuses officials of harassment over security deposit withdrawals and corruption in paddy procurement through intermediaries. Copies were sent to senior food department officials seeking action.

Association leaders called for an impartial investigation and punishment for those involved, warning that failure to act could disrupt future food procurement drives. The food controller denied any bribery or misconduct allegations.

Bangladesh remains undecided about hosting the 15th SAFF Championship scheduled for later this year. Although Dhaka is being considered as a key venue by SAFF authorities, no final decision has been made. The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) and the SAFF Executive Committee must approve the hosting plan. The tournament, postponed last year, is expected to take place between September and October during the international window. A BFF meeting to finalize the decision was postponed from January 14 due to the arrival of the 2026 World Cup trophy in Bangladesh.

BFF Vice-President and Marketing Committee Chairman Fahad Karim stated that the federation will hold the meeting after the trophy’s departure to decide whether Bangladesh will host the event. However, doubts have emerged over the feasibility of hosting the tournament in Bangladesh, as political issues could affect India’s participation. This uncertainty raises the possibility that the SAFF Championship venue may shift to another country.

If Bangladesh secures hosting rights, it would mark the nation’s first time organizing the regional football event since 2018.

Former army chief Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan has given a statement to the International Crimes Tribunal’s investigation agency regarding enforced disappearances and killings during the Awami League’s fifteen-year rule. His testimony implicates dismissed former army officer Major General Ziaul Ahsan in the abduction and extrajudicial killing of hundreds of people. Chief Prosecutor Tazul Islam confirmed that Iqbal Karim will testify before Tribunal-1 in the crimes against humanity case against Ziaul. The court has set January 14 for an order following the formal hearing on charge framing.

In his statement, Iqbal Karim described Ziaul’s conduct as increasingly unruly after assuming the post of Additional Director General of the Rapid Action Battalion, alleging that extrajudicial killings rose sharply under his watch. He also recounted internal military tensions involving security adviser General Tariq Ahmed Siddiq and other officers, as well as political influence over military appointments and operations during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure.

The tribunal, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mojumdar with two other members, is currently conducting proceedings in the case against Ziaul Ahsan for crimes against humanity linked to disappearances and killings over the past fifteen years.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan stated that the government is prepared to be accountable on any issue and suggested forming a citizen-led commission to determine actions for environmental protection. She made the remarks on Friday at the opening of the two-day BAPA-BEN National Environment Conference held at the Krishibid Institution auditorium in Dhaka.

Hasan explained that due to the government’s short tenure, it prioritized election-related reforms based on proposals from six commissions that led to the July National Charter. She emphasized that environmental issues were not neglected but that the government had only about one year to work amid various challenges. She also noted that the Public Administration Reform Commission recommended a separate environmental cadre, while the Constitutional Reform Commission proposed including the environment as a fundamental right, though these could not be implemented within the current government’s limited timeframe.

The conference was chaired by BAPA President Professor Nur Mohammad Talukder, with concept paper presented by BAPA Vice-President and BEN founder Dr. Nazrul Islam.

Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Susan Ryle paid a courtesy call on Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman on January 9, 2026. According to BNP media cell member Shayrul Kabir Khan, the meeting took place around 7 p.m. at the BNP chairperson’s office in Gulshan, Dhaka.

The report described the meeting as a courtesy visit, without disclosing further details about the discussion or agenda. The BNP media cell confirmed the timing and location of the meeting but did not provide additional context or statements from either side.

No further information was given about the topics discussed or any outcomes from the meeting.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department announced on Friday morning that a mild to moderate cold wave sweeping across 20 districts will continue for at least two more days. The lowest temperature recorded on Thursday was 6.9 degrees Celsius in Tetulia, Panchagarh. Meteorologist Muhammad Abul Kalam Mallik stated that all districts in Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions, along with Narsingdi, Jashore, Chuadanga, and Kushtia, are currently experiencing the cold wave.

According to the department, the cold conditions are expected to persist until at least mid-January, with possible variations in intensity and spread. On Wednesday, the season’s lowest temperature of 6.7 degrees Celsius was recorded in Badalgachhi, Naogaon. The number of affected districts decreased from 24 on Thursday to 20 on Friday.

The synoptic report noted that a deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal is moving northwestward and may cross the northern Sri Lanka coast around January 10. Its extension reaches the northern Bay of Bengal, while a subcontinental high-pressure ridge lies over West Bengal and adjoining western Bangladesh.

A total of 610 appeals have been submitted to the Election Commission (EC) challenging the returning officers’ decisions on nomination acceptance and rejection for the 13th National Parliament election. Of these, 600 appeals contest the rejection of nomination papers, while 10 challenge accepted nominations. On the final day of submission, 141 appeals were filed by 6:45 p.m. Many candidates were seen waiting at EC booths to submit their applications.

The hearings will be conducted by Chief Election Commissioner A.M.M. Nasiruddin and his team in the basement of the Election Building in Agargaon. Proceedings will begin on Saturday and continue until January 18, with hearings held in two sessions daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The EC expects to hear about 70 appeals per day, following the order of submission.

According to EC sources, most appellants are independent or political party candidates whose nominations were rejected. Returning officers had earlier canceled 723 nominations, leaving 1,842 valid candidates for the upcoming election.

BNP candidate Manjurul Ahsan Munshi has filed a petition with the Election Commission seeking cancellation of the nomination of National Citizens Party (NCP) leader Hasnat Abdullah in the Comilla-4 (Debidwar) constituency for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. The petition, submitted on Friday, January 9, alleges inconsistencies in Hasnat’s affidavit, discrepancies in his asset statement, failure to submit his wife’s tax return, and lack of clear evidence regarding the source of his election expenses, which the petitioner claims constitute criminal offenses under election law.

Separately, the Chamber Court suspended a High Court order that had earlier removed Manjurul Ahsan Munshi’s name from the list of loan defaulters, effectively preventing him from contesting the election. The Chamber Court order was issued by Justice Md Rezaul Haque following an appeal by Premier Bank authorities. The High Court bench of Justice A.K.M. Rabiul Hasan had previously stayed Munshi’s inclusion in the defaulter list.

The final day for appeals against acceptance or rejection of nomination papers is today, with hearings scheduled from January 10 to 18. Both candidates could not be reached for comment.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has suspended the Election Commission’s (EC) boundary-related gazette concerning Pabna-1 and Pabna-2 constituencies. The order, issued on January 5 by a bench led by Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, halts the EC’s revised notification of December 24 that had reinstated earlier boundaries. However, the court clarified that this suspension does not obstruct the upcoming elections in these constituencies.

The EC had originally published a final delimitation gazette on September 4, 2025, defining Pabna-1 as comprising the entire Santhia upazila and Pabna-2 as including Sujanagar and Bera upazilas. Following legal challenges by residents of Bera and Santhia, the High Court declared parts of the EC’s gazette unlawful on December 18, 2025, and directed the EC to restore the previous boundaries within 24 hours. The EC complied on December 24, but both the Commission and Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Barrister Mohammad Nazibur Rahman appealed the ruling.

The Appellate Division’s suspension means the September 4 gazette remains in effect, keeping Santhia as Pabna-1 and Sujanagar and Bera as Pabna-2. The EC confirmed that reports of election postponement are incorrect.