The nomination verification process for the Feni-1 constituency, covering Fulgazi, Parshuram, and Chhagalnaiya, was completed under the supervision of District Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner Monira Haque on Sunday, December 4. Among ten parliamentary candidates, the nomination of recently deceased BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia was suspended. Three other candidates were disqualified for failing to meet documentation and procedural requirements.

According to the district returning officer, Mohammad Nazmul Alam of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis was disqualified for not submitting an income tax copy, Md. Firoz Uddin Chowdhury of Bangladesh Congress for not paying land development tax, and independent candidate Nizam Uddin Bhuiyan for lacking one percent of required signatures. Six other candidates were declared valid, including Rafiqul Alam Majnu of BNP (Dhaka South), S.M. Kamal Uddin of Jamaat-e-Islami, Kazi Golam Kibria of Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Mahbub Morshed Majumdar of Bangladesh Muslim League, Anwar Ullah Bhuiya of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon, and Motair Hossain Chowdhury of Jatiya Party.

The verification concluded with one nomination suspended, three canceled, and six declared valid for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election.

The National Poetry Council announced that the “National Poetry Festival 2026” will be held on February 1 and 2 in Dhaka under the theme “Poetry will resist anti-cultural arrogance.” The announcement came at a press conference on January 4, 2026, at the National Press Club’s Zahur Hossain Milonayatan, attended by poets Mohon Raihan, Rezauddin Stalin, Manab Surat, Matin Bairagi, Hasan Hafiz, Anamika Haque Lili, and other council leaders. The festival will be inaugurated by Mir Mostafizur Rahman, father of martyred freedom fighter Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho, with Mustafa Sarwar Farooki, adviser to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, as chief guest.

The two-day event will feature seminars, poetry readings, recitations, music, and dance performances with participation from poets, writers, journalists, cultural activists, intellectuals, and political figures from home and abroad. Registration for local and foreign poets opened on January 4, with a fee of 200 taka, and the festival office has been set up at Dhaka University’s TSC swimming pool area.

Speakers at the press conference emphasized the role of poetry in defending democracy, resisting cultural aggression, and promoting artistic expression for the nation.

A violent clash broke out between police and mobile phone traders in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar area on Sunday afternoon, leaving four people injured. The confrontation began around 2:15 p.m. when police attempted to disperse demonstrators who had blocked the road. Witnesses said traders threw bricks at police, triggering panic in the area and forcing nearby shops to close while traffic came to a halt.

The traders were protesting the introduction of the National Equipment Identity Registrar (NEIR) system and demanding the release of detained colleagues. When police moved to clear the road, both sides engaged in chase and counter-chase. Police used batons, tear gas, water cannons, and sound grenades to disperse the crowd, while protesters continued throwing bricks in retaliation.

Authorities said efforts were underway to bring the situation under control. Members of the Rapid Action Battalion and the army were also deployed alongside police to maintain order in the area.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested three main suspects in connection with the murder of pharmacy owner and mobile financial agent Khokon Das, aged 50, in Shariatpur. Acting on information from RAB-8 and the Intelligence Wing in Dhaka, a RAB-14 team from Kishoreganj Camp, led by ASP Shahjahan, detained the named accused—Sohag, Rabbi, and Palash—from Bajitpur area around 1 a.m. on Saturday night.

According to Shariatpur Superintendent of Police Rownak Jahan, the victim had identified the attackers before his death. On the night of December 31, 2025, Khokon Das was returning home after closing his pharmacy at Keherbhanga Bazar when several assailants attacked him with sharp weapons near Tiloi area, robbing him of cash. When he recognized some attackers, they poured petrol on him and set him on fire. Locals rescued him and took him to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital, from where he was transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he later died.

Police said the arrested suspects were locally known as miscreants and drug users.

A Royal Bengal Tiger was found trapped in a deer-hunting snare set by poachers in the Sundarbans near Shorki Canal in Mongla upazila of Bagerhat. The Forest Department began a rescue operation on Sunday morning with the help of specialists to free the tiger. Officials said the animal was discovered about half a kilometer inside the forest from the canal bank, and the area has been cordoned off to prevent public access.

Dipon Chandra Das, Assistant Conservator of Forests of the Chandpai Range under the Sundarbans East Forest Division, confirmed that a veterinary surgeon from Dhaka was brought in to assist in the rescue. The team may use a tranquilizer gun if necessary. If the tiger is found injured or unwell, it will be caged and sent to a rescue center in Khulna or Dhaka for treatment.

Local residents gathered near the site after hearing about the trapped tiger, but the Forest Department has restricted entry to ensure safety and smooth rescue operations.

A man named Sohel Rana, aged 35, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bagha upazila of Rajshahi early Sunday. The attack occurred around 1 a.m. in Polashi Fatepur Karali Naushara area under Chakrajapur Union. Sohel Rana, son of Kalu Mondal, died on the spot after being hit by bullets. His wife and daughter were also injured and admitted to the local health complex.

According to Sohel’s brother, the family was asleep when the attackers struck the tin walls of the house, creating loud noises that woke neighbors. The assailants warned that anyone approaching would be shot, then entered the house and fired several rounds after cutting through the tin. Police Inspector (Investigation) Supravat Mondal of Bagha Police Station said the killing was linked to a previous murder case. The body was recovered and sent to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital for autopsy, and a case will be filed.

Police have begun an investigation into the incident, citing previous enmity as a possible motive.

Eight flights scheduled to land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka were diverted on Sunday due to dense fog. The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh confirmed the diversions, citing safety concerns for takeoff and landing operations. The affected flights were rerouted to alternative airports to ensure passenger and aircraft safety.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority’s public relations officer, Kawsar Mahmud, six of the diverted flights were sent to Sylhet Osmani International Airport, one to Kolkata Airport, and another to Hanoi Airport in Vietnam. The diversions were implemented as visibility at Dhaka airport dropped significantly, making normal operations unsafe.

The situation highlights the continuing challenges posed by seasonal fog in Bangladesh’s air transport sector, which often disrupts flight schedules during winter mornings.

Information and Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan stated that there is a suitable environment for elections in Bangladesh and that citizens have long been deprived of voting. Speaking at a media exchange at the Secretariat on Sunday morning, she said that those advocating for the banned Awami League to be allowed into elections are making irrelevant demands. She emphasized that the party cannot participate in elections or political activities until judicial proceedings against it are concluded.

Hasan also commented that Bangladeshi citizens have the right to express opinions about the Indian Premier League (IPL). She added that the government is considering halting IPL broadcasts based on legal grounds. Her remarks came in response to journalists’ questions during the event.

The adviser’s comments underline the government’s stance on maintaining legal restrictions on banned political entities while also reflecting sensitivity to public sentiment regarding foreign sports broadcasts.

Two people were killed when a truck lost control and broke through a bridge railing before plunging into the Kumar River in Shailkupa, Jhenaidah. The accident occurred around 1 a.m. on Saturday night on the Jhenaidah-Kushtia highway near the Bardah old bridge in Garaganj area. The victims were identified as truck driver Sohel Sheikh, 27, and his assistant Mubarak Hossain, 20, both from Gazamanikunda village in Pabna Sadar upazila.

According to Abdus Salam, assistant director of the Fire Service’s Jashore region, the truck was carrying lentils from Jashore to Pabna when it lost control on the bridge and fell into the river. Two fire service units from Shailkupa and Jhenaidah conducted the rescue operation. Mubarak’s body was recovered at dawn, and Sohel’s body was found around 8 a.m.

Jhenaidah Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Al Masud visited the accident site after receiving the news.

A Habiganj court has granted bail to Mahdi Hasan, member secretary of the local branch of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, 15 hours after his detention. The bail was approved on Sunday, January 4, 2026, at around 10 a.m. by the Habiganj Judicial Magistrate Court. Hasan had been taken into custody following an altercation with Officer-in-Charge Abul Kalam of Shayestaganj Police Station and was later shown arrested in a case accusing him of misconduct toward police and obstruction of government duties.

Following his detention, more than a hundred activists of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement gathered in front of Habiganj Sadar Model Police Station from Saturday evening until Sunday morning, demanding an immediate court hearing for Hasan’s bail. Meanwhile, a video of Hasan’s conversation with the officer circulated on social media, showing a heated exchange between the two.

The incident has drawn attention locally due to the viral video and the mobilization of student activists demanding Hasan’s release.

The government has issued a gazette prohibiting the extraction of groundwater for irrigation in the Barind region, covering 4,911 mouzas across Rajshahi, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj, and Natore districts. The order allows groundwater use only for drinking purposes. Farmers in the area, who depend heavily on groundwater for crop cultivation, have expressed deep concern, warning that the sudden ban without alternative irrigation systems or subsidies could reduce crop production by about 2.7 million tons this season and leave 2.54 million hectares of land uncultivated.

Experts and local farmers argue that the decision disregards the agricultural realities of the drought-prone Barind area, where the government itself had promoted deep tube-well irrigation since the 1980s through the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority. They say the ban shifts responsibility for groundwater depletion onto farmers while ignoring the state’s institutional role in creating the system. Officials and researchers have urged phased implementation, farmer consultation, and interim support to prevent economic and social crises.

The Barind region’s future agricultural stability remains uncertain as stakeholders call for reconsideration of the gazette and development of sustainable water management alternatives.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, naming Liton Das as captain and Saif Hasan as vice-captain. The announcement was made on Sunday through an official press release. The squad includes regular players who have been part of the T20 setup in recent months, with no major surprises in selection.

Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Ripon Mondol, who had been in discussion for their recent performances, were not included in the final squad. Lower middle-order batter Zakir Ali Anik was also left out due to poor form. The team includes Nurul Hasan Sohan and Mohammad Saifuddin among others. Bangladesh will begin their World Cup campaign against the West Indies on February 7, followed by matches against Italy, England, and Nepal.

The first three group-stage matches are scheduled to be held in Kolkata and the final one in Mumbai. However, the BCB plans to send a letter to the ICC requesting that the matches not be held in India due to the current political situation.

Owners of lighter cargo vessels transporting goods through Bangladesh’s waterways have accused a syndicate linked to senior Awami League figures of monopolizing the sector and withholding large payments. Despite arrests of several members after August 5, 2024, others remain active. The owners claim they must pay the group to operate at Chittagong’s outer anchorage and across the country. They have issued a 10-point demand to the government, including enforcement of the 2024 transport policy, payment of overdue demurrage, and dissolution of the syndicate, warning of a nationwide vessel shutdown if ignored.

The dispute centers on control of the Bangladesh Water Transport Coordination Cell (BWTCC). Owners allege that Awami-linked businessman Haji Shafiq Ahmed unlawfully declared himself convener to misappropriate about Tk 500 crore owed to them. They also accuse agents of using vessels as floating warehouses to create artificial market shortages. Government officials acknowledge unresolved corruption and policy violations but deny aiding the syndicate.

The standoff has left many vessel owners in debt, with hundreds forced to scrap ships. The government faces pressure to enforce maritime policy and resolve payment disputes to restore order in the inland shipping sector.

The Ministry of Shipping has initiated a move to amend the existing port law to create two new positions on the Chattogram Port Authority board. The proposed amendment, to be titled the Port Act 2025, aims to add one member from the Shipping Ministry and another from the Finance Ministry. These new members would serve as board members but operate from their respective ministries in Dhaka. The initiative has triggered tension between the ministry and the port authority, as current board members and employees fear bureaucratic complications that could slow operational decisions.

According to port sources, the Chattogram Port currently operates under the Port Act 2022 with a chairman and four board members overseeing administration, finance, harbor and marine, and engineering. Two members come from the navy and two from the civil administration. Port officials argue that adding members based in Dhaka would reduce accountability and delay decision-making. A six-member committee has been formed to review the proposed amendment, with instructions to submit a report within one month.

Former port official Jafar Alam and other stakeholders warned that expanding the board with ministry officials could create a top-heavy administration and harm the port’s efficiency.

India’s cricket board (BCCI) has expelled Bangladesh’s only player in the current IPL season, Mustafizur Rahman, following what it described as recent events linked to alleged persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh. The decision came just two days after Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar visited Dhaka to pay respects to Khaleda Zia and delivered a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi promoting bilateral ties. Officials and analysts in Dhaka said the expulsion shows India’s hostile stance toward Bangladesh remains unchanged.

According to the report, BCCI instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to remove Mustafizur from their squad, a move that followed pressure from extremist Hindu groups and political figures across India. Several leaders from the BJP, Congress, and Shiv Sena publicly demanded his removal, while actor Shah Rukh Khan, KKR’s owner, faced threats for including a Bangladeshi player. The All India Imam Organization also criticized Khan, echoing claims of minority persecution in Bangladesh.

Bangladeshi diplomats and analysts described the decision as evidence of India’s deep-seated antagonism toward a Muslim-majority neighbor. They argued that despite official rhetoric of friendship, Delhi’s actions reveal enduring mistrust and political manipulation in bilateral relations.