At a Sunday morning dialogue titled 'Judicial Independence and Rule of Law' organized by the Center for Governance Studies at Sirdap Auditorium in Dhaka, International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Tazul Islam cautioned against using the term 'mob' to describe revolutionary movements. He said that equating the fall of Bastille with street looters would be inappropriate and warned that any attempt to subtly question the legitimacy of the recent revolution would be unacceptable. He emphasized that while criminal acts must be suppressed firmly, efforts to undermine revolutionary achievements should not be tolerated.

After delivering his remarks, Tazul Islam left the event. Following his departure, Ruhin Hossain Prince, former general secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), described the Chief Prosecutor’s comments as a 'threat'. Prince argued that advocating for the rule of law while simultaneously inciting mobs was contradictory and unacceptable in Bangladesh.

The exchange highlighted differing interpretations of the revolution’s portrayal and the boundaries of acceptable political discourse in the context of Bangladesh’s evolving governance landscape.

The Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and Executive Magistrate of Sarail, Abu Bakar Sarkar, has filed a petition with the Senior Civil Judge Court seeking legal action against Barrister Rumin Farhana, an independent candidate for the Brahmanbaria-2 constituency. The petition, submitted on January 18, 2026, alleges that a public meeting was organized in support of Rumin Farhana in violation of the electoral code of conduct.

According to the petition, the event organizer, Jewel Mia, was fined 40,000 taka by an Executive Magistrate from the District Commissioner’s office. The complaint also accuses Rumin Farhana of threatening an on-duty Executive Magistrate and obstructing judicial proceedings, which were described as clear breaches of election regulations. The UNO requested the court to take necessary legal measures in response.

The UNO further stated that earlier, on January 11, 2026, Rumin Farhana’s supporter Ashiqur Rahman had been fined 5,000 taka for a similar violation of the electoral code.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher has alleged that the country’s administration is gradually leaning toward a specific political party. Speaking to journalists on Sunday night, January 18, 2026, after a meeting with Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus at the state guesthouse Jamuna, he warned that if this trend continues, public confidence in a free and fair election will erode. He also said the Election Commission would not be able to avoid responsibility if the principle of equality in the electoral field is violated.

Dr. Taher claimed that administrative officials across the country are showing visible bias toward the BNP, particularly among SPs and DCs who are also serving as returning officers. He said Jamaat has prepared a list of such officials but has not yet filed a written complaint. He further alleged that the government’s recent provision of extra security and protocol for a top leader of one party breaches electoral neutrality.

Taher stated that Jamaat has drawn the Chief Adviser’s attention to these issues and requested his intervention if the Election Commission fails to act effectively.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen paid a courtesy call on National Security Adviser Dr. Khilur Rahman on Sunday at the Chief Adviser’s Office in Dhaka. According to the press wing, the meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere and covered discussions on the integrated management and restoration of the Teesta River and the proposed Bangladesh-China Friendship Hospital.

Both sides exchanged views on issues of mutual interest and reaffirmed the long-standing friendship and development cooperation between Bangladesh and China. The Chinese ambassador stated that he would visit the Teesta project area and reiterated China’s commitment to completing the ongoing technical assessment quickly. He also conveyed his government’s continued support for Bangladesh’s democratic transition and extended best wishes for the upcoming national election.

The two parties expressed satisfaction with the positive progress in bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation for mutual benefit.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 has scheduled January 22 for delivering an order on charge framing against seven accused, including two top leaders of the banned organization Chhatra League, in a case over killings during the July Revolution. The accused include Chhatra League president Saddam Hossain and general secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan. The three-member panel, led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, fixed the date after hearing both prosecution and defense arguments.

According to the source, the prosecution, represented by Mizanul Islam and Gazi M.H. Tamim, argued for formal charges and trial initiation, citing individual responsibility of the accused. Defense lawyers Lokman Hawlader and Ishrat Jahan claimed their clients were not involved and sought discharge due to lack of evidence. The tribunal had earlier issued arrest warrants after the accused failed to appear on January 8 and were later deemed absconding.

The prosecution had submitted formal charges on December 18, leading the tribunal to accept the allegations and issue warrants. Law enforcement agencies reported being unable to locate the accused at their listed addresses, prompting a public notice on December 30.

In Jessore’s Sharsha upazila, road construction work in Jirengacha village was allegedly halted and bricks removed after a contractor refused to pay extortion money. The incident occurred on Friday night in Ulashi Union. Contractor Nasir Uddin of Sarun & Safa Traders said work on a 73-meter road, costing about 350,000 taka, began on January 15. Local resident Arman Hossain, known as Dablue, allegedly demanded money and stopped the work when refused. The contractor reported that workers were forced to leave, and the next morning he found part of the road’s bricks removed. He is preparing a written complaint to the upazila administration.

Local residents claimed a group led by Dablue has long intimidated villagers in Jirengacha, Kashiadanga, and Matipukuria, controlling local activities through threats and extortion. Residents also alleged that the group interferes in social and religious events. Dablue denied all allegations, saying he was being targeted over a local dispute. Police confirmed multiple cases against him under various laws but said no written complaint had yet been filed regarding this incident.

Authorities stated that an investigation and legal action will follow once a formal complaint is received.

A day laborer named Rezaul Karim, 38, died from electrocution on Sunday morning while assisting in the reinstallation of an electricity transformer in Chaubila village under Salonga Union of Raiganj upazila, Sirajganj. He was working with a lineman named Atik when the accident occurred around 11 a.m. Karim, son of the late Omar Ali Sheikh of Charia Ujir Shaopara village, had long been employed as a tree-cutting worker for the local Palli Bidyut office.

According to police and local sources, the team assumed the power line was disconnected before starting work. However, an adjacent line remained live, and Karim was fatally electrocuted upon contact. His coworkers later disconnected the power and, with local help, brought down his body. Police visited the scene, granted permission for burial, and recorded an unnatural death (UD) case at Salonga Police Station.

Local residents have raised questions about how a tree-cutting laborer was assigned to transformer installation work, as attempts to contact the Salonga Palli Bidyut zonal office and its acting AGM went unanswered.

Bangladesh Bank has decided to withhold profits for 2024 and 2025 from depositors of five Islamic banks currently undergoing a merger process. The affected banks are First Security Islami Bank, Global Islami Bank, Union Bank, EXIM Bank, and Social Islami Bank, which are being consolidated into a new entity named Sammilit Islami Bank. The central bank announced the decision last Wednesday, stating that depositors will not receive profits for the two years, and any previously withdrawn profits will be deducted from their accounts.

The decision has sparked widespread anger among depositors, leading to disruptions in normal banking operations at some branches and a human chain protest in Dhaka’s Gulshan area. Depositors argued that they should not bear the burden of bank mismanagement and demanded full repayment of their deposits and due profits. Bank officials requested the central bank to reconsider, but the governor reaffirmed that the decision, based on Shariah principles, would not be reversed.

According to Bangladesh Bank sources, withholding two years of profits will reduce liabilities by about Tk 10,000 crore, lowering total deposits from Tk 1.31 trillion to an estimated Tk 1.21 trillion across the five banks, which currently serve around 7.5 million depositors.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has questioned the transparency of several activities of the Election Commission (EC), alleging that the commission has shown bias in many cases. He warned that such behavior could hinder a fair election but expressed optimism that a credible election is still possible under the current commission if existing flaws are quickly resolved. Fakhrul made these remarks after meeting the Chief Election Commissioner on Sunday, January 18, at 4:45 p.m.

He claimed that the postal ballots sent to voters were faulty and designed to favor a particular party, demanding immediate supply of correct symbol-marked ballot papers. Fakhrul also criticized the collection of voters’ NID, mobile, and bKash numbers, expressing doubts about the purpose behind it. He alleged that campaign rules were being violated through one-sided promotion and that voter transfers in parts of Dhaka were being done deliberately.

Calling on the EC to act, Fakhrul urged investigations against biased officials and demanded equal opportunities for all parties. He reiterated that a fair election is possible if the commission identifies and corrects its shortcomings and proves its neutrality.

The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives has temporarily suspended Md. Saidur Rahman Bhuiyan, chairman of Lengura Union Parishad in Netrokona’s Kalmakanda upazila. The order, issued on Sunday, stated that Bhuiyan obstructed the activities of an executive magistrate and committed contempt of court during official proceedings, which constituted misuse of power and misconduct under local government law.

According to the report, the incident occurred when Bhuiyan became involved in an argument with Kalmakanda Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Masudur Rahman. The dispute arose at Lengura Bazar after the UNO detained Bhuiyan’s brother, Md. Parvez, during the construction of a market on government land. A video of the altercation later circulated on social media.

The suspension order emphasized that Bhuiyan’s actions were inconsistent with the responsibilities of an elected representative and violated administrative discipline.

Daksu Vice President Sadiq Kayem has alleged that a student organization is attempting to stop the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) Central Student Union (ShakSU) election, scheduled for January 20. In a Facebook post on January 18, he warned that the student community would not accept any effort to halt the election through force. He urged the Election Commission and university administration not to yield to any threats or pressure and to ensure a fair and impartial election on time.

The post further stated that the alleged attempt was being made to serve the agenda of the organization’s parent body. Kayem emphasized that any move to curtail students’ democratic rights after the July Revolution would be resisted. Meanwhile, an independent candidate, Mominur Rashid Shubho, has filed a petition with the High Court seeking to postpone both the ShakSU and hall union elections.

The Election Commission has extended the campaign period for participating candidates by 12 hours, while the ShakSU election remains set for January 20.

The Ministry of Education has finalized a decision to divide the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) into two separate directorates. The decision was made on Sunday during an inter-ministerial meeting held at the ministry’s conference room. According to the plan, secondary-level education will fall under a new Directorate of Secondary Education, while college-level education will be managed by a Directorate of Higher Education or Directorate of Higher Education and Research. An eight-member committee has been formed to develop a strong institutional organogram for the new structure.

An official present at the meeting, who requested anonymity, said that each of the two directorates will have a Director General and additional Director General positions, though the number of additional posts has not yet been determined. Another committee will finalize the full staffing structure and submit it to the Cabinet Division, which will issue a circular to implement the separation. The meeting was attended by Rehana Parveen, Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division, along with officials from the Education, Finance, Cabinet, and Public Administration ministries.

Once the Cabinet Division issues the circular, the two directorates will officially begin operating separately.

Mufti Amir Hamza, the Jamaat-e-Islami candidate for the Kushtia-3 (Sadar) parliamentary seat, has claimed that he has been receiving death threats from various sources. He made the statement on Sunday through a post on his personal Facebook account, saying he has been threatened since the previous day and that he is always prepared for death.

In recent days, an old video of Amir Hamza’s speech at a religious gathering has gone viral on social media. In that video, he was seen distorting the name of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s younger son, Arafat Rahman Koko, and comparing it to an animal’s name. The resurfaced clip sparked political tension, and the Kushtia district unit of the BNP publicly protested his remarks.

Following the backlash, Amir Hamza posted an apology on Facebook late Friday night, expressing regret over his earlier comments.

Engineers from Rosatom have confirmed that fuel loading for Unit-1 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Pabna is expected to take place by the end of February 2026. The announcement follows a recent inspection visit by Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, adviser to the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Finance, who reviewed the project’s progress and met with officials and engineers at the site.

During the visit, Dr. Ahmed praised the dedication of the workforce and expressed optimism that the Rooppur plant, Bangladesh’s first nuclear power facility, will play a transformative role in the national energy sector. The project aims to meet the country’s growing electricity demand while strengthening energy security and advancing sustainable development goals.

According to project engineers, approximately 350 megawatts of electricity from Unit-1 could be supplied to the national grid by the end of March 2026, with full generation capacity expected to reach about 1,150 megawatts once operations stabilize.

A verbal altercation occurred between Sayedur Rahman Bhuiya, chairman of Lengura Union Parishad and general secretary of Kalmakanda upazila BNP, and Masudur Rahman, the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) and executive magistrate of Kalmakanda in Netrokona. The incident took place on Saturday afternoon during a mobile court operation at Lengura Bazar, where legal action was taken against two individuals accused of constructing illegal structures. A video of the exchange later spread on social media.

According to local sources, the dispute began when Bhuiya arrived at the scene and questioned the UNO’s actions, asserting his authority as the elected representative of the area. Bhuiya later alleged that the administration had not informed him about the operation and accused the UNO of misusing administrative power against political opponents. In response, UNO Masudur Rahman stated that the law does not require permission from a union chairman to conduct a mobile court.

Earlier the same day, a separate incident was reported involving independent candidate Rumin Farhana, whose campaign was halted following allegations of misconduct with an executive magistrate.