The National Implementation Committee on Administrative Reorganization (NICAR), chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, held its 119th meeting and the first under the interim government at the State Guest House Jamuna on Tuesday. The meeting, attended by six advisers and 14 secretaries including the Cabinet and Principal Secretaries, approved a total of 11 proposals related to administrative restructuring.

According to the Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, the approved proposals include the creation of two new divisions under the Ministry of Finance—Revenue Policy Division and Revenue Management Division—to enhance transparency, accountability, and efficiency in revenue collection. The meeting also approved merging the Health Services Division and the Health Education and Family Welfare Division to form the restructured Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Additionally, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs will be renamed the Ministry of Women and Children, though its English name will remain unchanged.

Other approvals include upgrading Satkhira to an “A” category district, establishing three new police stations in Gazipur, Narayanganj, and Cox’s Bazar, creating another police station in Narsingdi, and correcting the spelling of Bhulli Police Station in Thakurgaon.

The National Pay Commission of Bangladesh is preparing to recommend a significant rise in allowances for government employees under the ninth pay scale. The proposal includes increasing the Pahela Baishakh festival allowance from the current 20 percent of basic salary to 50 percent. The commission is expected to submit its final report to the Chief Adviser on Wednesday, with all preparatory work reportedly in the final stage. Eid bonuses will remain unchanged under existing rules.

In addition, the commission plans to recommend raising the medical allowance from 3,500 taka to a maximum of 5,000 taka per month. Two age-based categories are proposed: 4,000 taka for employees aged 40 or below, and 5,000 taka for those above 40. Retired government employees would continue to receive a monthly medical allowance of 5,000 taka.

The Finance Ministry has allocated 1,06,684 crore taka for salaries and allowances in the 2025–26 budget, about 22,000 crore more than before. The ministry indicated that either the revised salary or allowance structure may be implemented from January, with further decisions left to the next government.

The Chief Adviser has directed authorities to recover all looted and illegal weapons before the upcoming national election. The instruction came during a meeting of the National Implementation Committee on Administrative Reorganization (NIKAR) held in Dhaka, where the Chief Adviser emphasized that the recovery must be completed as quickly as possible ahead of the polls. The meeting also discussed preparations for the election scheduled for February 12.

According to the Press Secretary, the government is installing CCTV cameras at nearly 42,000 polling centers across the country to ensure transparency and security. Of these, 21,946 centers identified as highly important or risky will receive special funding of Tk 71.98 crore from the Finance Ministry, with at least six cameras per center. Local administrations will fund installations at the remaining centers. Efforts are underway nationwide, with some districts nearing full completion.

Officials confirmed that 299 polling centers without electricity will receive solar power or generator support. The government reiterated that the election will be held on schedule and pledged full support to the Election Commission for a free, fair, and peaceful vote.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been granted an additional five days to submit its report in the murder case of Inquilab Moncho convener Shahid Sharif Osman Hadi. On Tuesday, January 20, 2026, Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam directed the CID to file the report by January 25. The court had earlier set January 20 as the deadline, but the CID failed to submit the report on that date, prompting the extension. The information was confirmed by prosecution officer SI Ruknuzzaman.

The case involves the killing of Hadi, who was shot on December 12 in Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area while returning from a campaign event. He later died on December 18 in Singapore after being transferred there for treatment. The Detective Branch (DB) police had previously submitted a charge sheet on January 6, accusing 17 individuals, including former ward councillor Taizul Islam Chowdhury Bappi and former Chhatra League activist Faisal Karim Masud. Dissatisfied with the DB’s report, the plaintiff Abdullah Al Jaber filed a petition, leading the court to assign the investigation to the CID.

Five of the accused, including Faisal Karim, remain absconding, according to the case documents.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has described the upcoming 13th National Parliament election as a tough test for his party and for Bangladesh’s liberal democratic forces. Speaking on Tuesday at a discussion marking the 90th birth anniversary of BNP founder and late President Ziaur Rahman at the Diploma Engineers Institute auditorium in Dhaka, Fakhrul said the election would determine whether the country remains under liberal democratic leadership or falls into the hands of extremist and anti-state elements.

He emphasized that BNP seeks an election and will accept the people’s verdict, pledging to go to the voters with the party’s 31-point program, Tarique Rahman’s new eight-point plan, and initiatives like the Family Card and Farmers Card. Fakhrul said victory for BNP’s symbol, the paddy sheaf, would be a true tribute to Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia. He also criticized Jamaat-e-Islami’s past political role and urged all parties to practice honest politics without exploiting religion.

Fakhrul reiterated that BNP first proposed state reforms through Vision 2030 and the 31-point plan, calling reform their “brainchild” and stressing consensus for the nation’s greater interest.

Hedayet Ali Shah Fakir, chairman of Itakhola Union Parishad and vice president of the district Krishak League, joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in Nilphamari. The event took place on Tuesday afternoon at the municipal market office in the district town, where he formally joined by presenting flowers to BNP candidate for Nilphamari-2 constituency, Engineer Shahrin Islam Chowdhury Tuhin. Along with him, nine union parishad members also joined the party.

During his speech, Hedayet Ali Shah Fakir expressed pride in joining under Tuhin’s leadership, describing him as a blessing for the area and emphasizing the need for development in Nilphamari. District BNP leaders, including convener Mir Selim Faruk and member secretary A.H.M. Saifullah Rubel, were present at the event.

In his address, Tuhin outlined plans to make Nilphamari an illiteracy-free district and develop it as a center for education and healthcare. He also announced a plan to create employment for 100,000 people and pledged to make Nilphamari the best district in Rangpur Division within five years if elected.

A Dhaka court has ordered the seizure of land worth Tk 1.75 crore belonging to Jahangir Alam, former personal assistant to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The same order also froze Tk 1.03 crore held in seven bank accounts under the name of his wife, Kamrun Nahar. The directive was issued on Tuesday by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Sabbir Foyez, following petitions from Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Assistant Director Piyas Pal.

According to the ACC petitions, there was a risk that Jahangir Alam might transfer or change ownership of his immovable assets, and that Kamrun Nahar’s bank funds could be moved. The ACC argued that freezing and seizing these assets were necessary to ensure a fair investigation. After hearing the petitions, the court granted both requests.

Earlier, on December 17 of the previous year, the ACC filed a case against Jahangir Alam and Kamrun Nahar, accusing them of acquiring wealth beyond known income sources. The case alleged that Kamrun Nahar possessed Tk 6.80 crore in unexplained assets, while Jahangir Alam had Tk 18.29 crore in illegally obtained property.

A total of 15,345 voters in Habiganj district have registered to cast their votes through postal ballots in the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum. According to District Election Officer Anwar Mahmud, the registered voters include government and private sector employees working in different parts of the country, officials on election duty, and expatriates living abroad. The Election Commission will send symbol-marked ballot papers for the parliamentary election and separate pink ballots for the referendum to the registered voters by mail.

Seat-wise data show that Habiganj-1 (Nabiganj-Bahubal) has 4,297 postal voters, Habiganj-2 (Baniachang-Ajmiriganj) has 2,838, Habiganj-3 (Sadar-Lakhai-Shayestaganj) has 3,250, and Habiganj-4 (Madhabpur-Chunarughat) has 4,960. After voting, ballots must be mailed back to the respective returning officers following the prescribed procedure.

The counting of postal ballots will take place at 4:30 p.m. on February 12, after the close of voting, in the presence of candidates’ agents at the returning officer’s office.

Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus has instructed authorities to expedite the recovery of looted weapons ahead of the upcoming national election. The directive was conveyed by his Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam during a briefing held on Tuesday afternoon at the Foreign Service Academy auditorium. Earlier that morning, Dr. Yunus made the call during a meeting of the National Implementation Committee on Administrative Reorganization at his Jamuna residence.

According to the press secretary, the meeting also approved a proposal to rename the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs as the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs. The committee discussed several administrative restructuring proposals, totaling eleven, as part of ongoing governance reforms.

The emphasis on recovering stolen weapons reflects the caretaker administration’s focus on maintaining law and order before the election period, while the ministry’s renaming signals a move toward updated institutional terminology.

The Rural Electrification Board (REB) has initiated a large-scale campaign to encourage citizens to vote 'Yes' in the upcoming national referendum. The decision was made at a meeting held on Tuesday at the Chief Adviser’s Office, attended by Special Assistant Professor Ali Riaz and Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Faozul Kabir Khan. The campaign aims to raise public awareness about the referendum and promote participation across the country.

As part of the initiative, REB will distribute leaflets titled 'The Key of the Country is in Your Hands' to 37.2 million customers by February 7, explaining the rationale for voting 'Yes'. The plan also includes regional meetings with 1.8 million prepaid customers, loudspeaker announcements in rural areas, promotional activities on the Facebook pages of 80 rural electricity cooperatives, and drop-down banners at REB offices nationwide. Professor Ali Riaz stated that the people of Bangladesh desire a democratic and humane society and must be motivated to vote 'Yes' to achieve it.

The meeting was also attended by Special Assistant Monir Haidar, Power Division Secretary Farzana Momtaz, and REB Chairman Major General S.M. Zia-ul-Azim, with 417 field-level officials joining via Zoom.

Jamaat-e-Islami has withdrawn its candidate from the Dhaka-18 constituency ahead of Bangladesh’s upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. Principal Ashraful Haque, the party’s nominated candidate, formally withdrew his nomination papers from the Election Commission office on Tuesday, expressing support for the National Citizen Party (NCP) candidate Ariful Islam Adib.

Earlier on Saturday, Ashraful Haque had announced his decision to step aside in favor of Adib, who serves as the convener of NCP’s Dhaka Metropolitan North unit. According to an NCP statement, Haque has long been active in the constituency and maintained close ties with local residents. The statement added that, in the interest of broader alliance unity, the Dhaka-18 seat was allocated to the NCP candidate.

The withdrawal reflects a strategic move within the electoral alliance, aiming to consolidate support in Dhaka-18 under a single candidate representing the coalition.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against Jatiya Party leader and former state minister Md Moshiur Rahman Ranga and former Kurigram MP Ponir Uddin Ahmed. The case, lodged on January 19, 2026, accuses them of embezzling Tk 1.7 crore through nomination trading. According to ACC Director General Md Akhter Hossain, Ranga allegedly accepted the money as a bribe while serving as a member of parliament and presidium member of the Jatiya Party, in exchange for facilitating Ahmed’s participation in the 12th parliamentary election.

The ACC stated that the two acted in collusion to gain illegal benefits by transferring, converting, and transacting the funds, which constitutes punishable offenses under sections 161, 165, and 109 of the Penal Code, section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, and sections 4(2) and 4(3) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012. Additionally, the commission has issued a notice under section 26(1) of the ACC Act, 2004, requiring Ranga to submit a statement of his assets for verification.

The ACC’s move marks a continuation of its scrutiny of political figures accused of corruption and illicit financial dealings.

The Mobile Business Community Bangladesh has demanded the unconditional release of 56 imprisoned mobile phone traders and the withdrawal of what they called false cases against innocent businesspeople. The demand was made during a human chain protest held on Tuesday afternoon in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka, where the organization’s general secretary, Abu Sayeed Piyas, spoke about the issue.

Speakers at the event said that decisions taken under the name of implementing NEIR have pushed around 20,000 small and medium mobile phone traders and about 2.5 million people dependent on the sector into uncertainty. They alleged that many traders were arrested in harassment cases for participating in peaceful protests. The leaders also noted that over 30 days of continuous demonstrations and shop closures have caused severe economic losses, leaving employees unpaid and traders unable to cover rent or loan installments.

Considering the national situation and the upcoming election, the organization announced a temporary suspension of its shutdown program, with all mobile showrooms set to reopen nationwide on January 22. However, they vowed to continue boycotting products from a specific syndicate accused of trying to monopolize the market under the NEIR initiative.

The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh is holding a meeting this Tuesday afternoon with representatives of 63 registered political parties ahead of the 13th National Parliament election and the upcoming referendum. The meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the EC headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka. According to the commission, the discussions will focus mainly on the functions of the ‘Postal Vote BD’ app and related issues. Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin, other election commissioners, the EC secretary, and senior officials will attend the session.

Before the meeting, Swedish Ambassador Niclas Wik will pay a courtesy call on the Chief Election Commissioner at 3 p.m. The commission stated that they will discuss various important matters concerning the forthcoming national election. Meanwhile, the withdrawal of nomination papers has been ongoing since morning at the Election Training Institute (ETI) building, and the EC will announce the total number of withdrawn nominations after 5 p.m.

The meeting is part of the EC’s preparations to ensure coordination with political parties and smooth management of election-related processes.

The High Court has set Wednesday, January 21, for the hearing of a writ petition filed by BNP candidate Manjurul Ahsan Munshi challenging the Election Commission’s decision that invalidated his nomination for the Comilla-4 constituency. The bench led by Justice Rajik Al Jalil fixed the date on Tuesday. Munshi’s legal team includes Advocate Ahsanul Karim, Barrister Hamidul Misbah, and Advocate Saifullah Al Mamun, while Hasnat Abdullah is represented by Barrister Ehsan Abdullah Siddiqi and others.

Earlier, on January 17, the Election Commission (EC) accepted an appeal by National Citizen Party (NCP) candidate Hasnat Abdullah, who alleged that Munshi concealed information about being a loan defaulter. Following the EC’s decision, Munshi’s nomination was declared invalid. Before that, the returning officer had approved his nomination as valid.

Munshi’s petition seeks to overturn the EC’s January 17 decision and restore his candidacy. The High Court’s ruling on Wednesday will determine whether he can contest the election in Comilla-4.