Bangladesh’s interim government foreign affairs adviser Md. Touhid Hossain has advised against interpreting Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to Dhaka in political or inter-state terms. Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, January 1, he said Jaishankar’s brief participation in the funeral events for former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was a gesture of goodwill and should not be overanalyzed.

Hossain clarified that there was no one-on-one meeting between him and Jaishankar, and no bilateral issues were discussed. He noted that representatives from all South Asian countries attended the event, including Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Bhutan’s Foreign Minister D.N. Dhungyel, and others. Hossain described Jaishankar’s interactions, such as handshakes with other dignitaries, as acts of courtesy.

He added that Khaleda Zia held a positive image across South Asia and that participation by regional leaders in her funeral was natural. When asked whether Jaishankar’s visit might ease tensions between Bangladesh and India, Hossain said the answer would become clear in the future.

Police in Madan upazila of Netrakona have arrested two teenagers in connection with the throat-slitting murder of school student Shawon. The arrests were confirmed on Thursday by Madan Police Station Officer-in-Charge Hasnat Zaman. The detainees include Mahfuz, 17, a tenth-grade student of Jahangirpur Tahura Amin Government Pilot High School, and Kayes, another teenager from Changao Chakpara village. Mahfuz’s 13-year-old sister, Mahfuza Akter Eva, was also detained for questioning but later released.

According to police, the victim’s family, and local residents, Shawon and Mahfuz were classmates and friends. Shawon allegedly tried to develop a romantic relationship with Mahfuz’s sister, which angered Mahfuz and may have led to the killing. Police suspect the murder stemmed from this personal dispute but continue to investigate to uncover the full motive.

Shawon went missing on December 28, and his body was recovered from farmland in Kadamshree Haor on Monday morning. His father, Awlad Hossain Bhuiyan, filed a murder case on December 31 against unidentified persons.

Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) detained three suspected members of a smuggling group along with two motorcycles at the Jagatber Union area of Patgram upazila in Lalmonirhat on Thursday, January 1, 2026. The arrests took place near the Mohammadpur area of the Nazirgomani border while the suspects were allegedly attempting to smuggle cattle across the India-Bangladesh frontier.

According to a press release from the 61 BGB Teesta Battalion, the operation was part of ongoing anti-smuggling drives in the Nazirgomani border region near pillar 868/5 S. The seized individuals were identified as residents of the Islampur area: Md. Abdul Jalil, Md. Mahidul Islam, and Abedar Ali. The confiscated motorcycles and other materials were handed over to Patgram Police Station.

Patgram Police Station Officer-in-Charge Nazmul Haque stated that a smuggling case was filed, and the detainees, along with the seized items, were transferred to police custody for further legal action.

The Bangladesh government has again reduced the profit rates on national savings certificates, effective from Thursday, January 1, 2026. The Internal Resources Division (IRD) announced the new rates, which will remain valid for the next six months. Under the revised structure, the maximum profit rate is set at 10.59 percent and the minimum at 8.74 percent. The previous adjustment took place in July 2025, as part of the government’s semiannual review process.

According to the new rates, the Family Savings Certificate now offers 10.54 percent profit for investments below Tk 7.5 lakh and 10.41 percent for higher amounts. Pensioner Savings Certificates will yield 10.59 percent and 10.41 percent respectively, while the five-year Bangladesh Savings Certificate will provide 10.44 percent and 10.41 percent. Quarterly profit-based certificates will offer 10.48 percent and 10.43 percent depending on investment size.

Savings certificates issued before July 1, 2025, will continue to earn the rates fixed at the time of issuance. However, reinvestments will follow the newly announced rates. The government will reassess and possibly revise the rates again after six months.

Four police officers were injured when drug dealers attacked a police team during a drug recovery operation in Sreepur, Gazipur, on Monday. The attackers vandalized two police vehicles and a CNG auto-rickshaw, freeing two detainees from police custody. Law enforcement later arrested ten individuals in connection with the assault.

According to the report, the Sreepur police team conducted the raid at a house in the Maona Peer Ali College area following a tip-off about drug trading. Officers initially detained three suspects with yaba tablets. Upon learning of the arrests, local drug traders and their associates armed with local weapons, machetes, and iron rods attacked the police, throwing bricks and stones. Additional police forces arrived to control the situation and rescued the injured officers, who were taken to Sreepur Upazila Health Complex.

Sub-Inspector Arup Kumar Biswas filed a case naming 24 individuals and 80–90 unidentified suspects for obstructing government work and attacking police. Police also seized three motorcycles left behind by the attackers and said operations to capture fugitives are ongoing.

An analysis of affidavits submitted by candidates in Chattogram’s 16 constituencies shows that BNP nominees possess significantly higher wealth compared to their Jamaat counterparts. The richest candidate is BNP’s Aslam Chowdhury from Chattogram-4 (Sitakunda), who declared assets worth about Tk 456.95 crore but also reported loans totaling Tk 1,700 crore. In contrast, Jamaat’s Md. Anwar Siddiqui from the same constituency is the poorest candidate, declaring assets of Tk 43.84 lakh. Other wealthy BNP candidates include Humam Quader Chowdhury of Rangunia with Tk 134 crore and Golam Akbar Khondkar of Raozan with Tk 52 crore.

Most Jamaat candidates come from teaching or small business backgrounds, declaring assets between Tk 30 lakh and Tk 1 crore, with limited cash holdings. Only Fatikchhari’s Nurul Amin stands out with Tk 13 crore in assets. Economist Dr. Moinul Islam noted that many candidates’ declared assets appear disproportionately high compared to their income and called for independent audits to ensure transparency. Regional Election Officer Mohammad Belayet Hossain Chowdhury emphasized that false or concealed information in affidavits could lead to legal consequences, including disqualification.

The Election Commission has instructed that both candidates and transparency-focused organizations verify affidavit accuracy, underscoring its legal importance in maintaining electoral accountability.

A Krishak Dal leader was assaulted in Gaibandha’s Saghata upazila after protesting derogatory remarks about Begum Khaleda Zia’s reported death. The incident occurred at Patilbari Char in Holdia Union, where Shahjahan Mondal, member secretary of the local Krishak Dal and a shopkeeper, was attacked at his grocery store. He was later admitted to Saghata Health Complex for treatment.

Local residents said that on Wednesday, Farid Mirza, a banned Awami League ward president from the same area, made offensive comments in public about the former prime minister and BNP chairperson. Shahjahan Mondal protested the remarks, leading to a heated exchange. Farid Mirza and his associates then allegedly launched a sudden attack on Mondal’s shop, beating him severely.

Holdia Union BNP president Omar Ali stated that Mondal was attacked for protesting the insult. Saghata Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mahmudul Alam said that action would be taken if a formal complaint is received.

The Advisory Council of Bangladesh’s interim government has approved the official public holiday calendar for 2026. According to the list, there will be a total of 28 public holidays throughout the year, nine of which fall on regular weekends, leaving 19 effective working-day holidays. The decision applies to all government, semi-government, statutory, autonomous, and semi-autonomous institutions across the country. Optional holidays have also been designated: five for Muslims, nine for Hindus, eight for Christians, seven for Buddhists, and two for employees from small ethnic communities.

The calendar outlines opportunities for extended breaks by combining official and weekend holidays. February offers a four-day break around Shab-e-Barat, while March provides the longest stretch with up to seven consecutive days off around Eid-ul-Fitr and Shab-e-Qadr. In May, employees could enjoy up to ten days off around Eid-ul-Azha by taking two additional leave days. Other months such as April, August, October, and December also feature multiple long-weekend opportunities.

The approved schedule standardizes holiday observance across all public institutions, ensuring uniformity in 2026’s national leave structure.

A deep sense of mourning has enveloped Indurkani upazila in Pirojpur following the death of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. As a mark of respect, all business establishments in the upazila remained closed from Thursday morning, January 1. Markets including Parerhat, Pattashi, and Ghosherhat were shuttered, with many shops locked and black flags and half-masted national flags displayed in mourning.

Md. Shahidul Islam, senior joint secretary of the Indurkani Market Management Committee, said traders voluntarily decided to close their businesses to express deep respect and sorrow for Begum Khaleda Zia. He added that all commercial activities would remain suspended throughout the day.

Begum Khaleda Zia had visited Indurkani on April 21, 2002, when she declared the then Jianagar area a full-fledged upazila. Later, the Awami League government renamed it Indurkani. Residents across the upazila are expressing grief and respect for the late leader, reflecting her lasting connection with the area.

Students of ibtedayi madrasas in Nawabganj upazila of Dinajpur expressed joy after receiving new textbooks on the first day of the year. The distribution began at 10 a.m. on Thursday, January 1, across 39 affiliated and 34 independent ibtedayi madrasas. From early morning, students gathered at their madrasa premises to collect the colorful new books, while teachers and parents expressed satisfaction with the government’s timely distribution.

Madrasa authorities said that receiving books on the first day of the year would increase students’ interest in studies and help ensure regular classes from the start of the academic session. Parents from several madrasas thanked the government and education officials for providing free textbooks at the beginning of the school year.

Upazila Secondary Education Officer Dipak Kumar Bonik stated that the distribution was completed on schedule under government directives, generating widespread enthusiasm among students. He added that timely delivery of textbooks would make the education process more dynamic. The event followed the national curriculum policy of distributing free textbooks to primary and ibtedayi students on the first day of every year.

A lawyer named Naim Kibria, aged 35, was allegedly beaten to death in Dhaka’s Bashundhara residential area following a collision between his private car and a motorcycle on Wednesday night. According to Bhatar Police Sub-Inspector Ariful Islam, unidentified youths, including the motorcycle rider, dragged Naim from his car and assaulted him severely before leaving him on the road. His cousin Rafiqul Islam later took him to Kurmitola General Hospital around 11 p.m., where doctors declared him dead.

Police recovered the body from the hospital around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday and sent it to Dhaka Medical College morgue for autopsy after completing legal formalities. Naim, a lawyer at Pabna Judge Court and resident of Chak Joyenpur village in Pabna Sadar, had come to Dhaka about ten days earlier to discuss a discrimination-related case with Supreme Court lawyers. He had gone out in a friend’s private car on the night of the incident.

Authorities have not yet identified or detained the attackers, and the investigation is ongoing.

Detective Branch (DB) police in Bogura have arrested two members of an inter-district robbery gang in connection with a robbery at the Bogura CNG Filling Station in Barpur area. The arrests were announced during a press briefing at Sadar Police Station on Thursday noon, led by Additional Superintendent of Police (Sadar Circle) Mostafa Manzur. The robbery took place on December 23 when the robbers tied up the night guard and attempted to flee in a mini truck after sensing police presence.

Police from Sadar and DB units conducted operations in several areas, including Narayanganj, to capture the suspects. During the operation, law enforcement recovered a jack vehicle, two oxygen gas cylinders, six iron pipes, four shotgun bullets, four machetes, one knife, and rope used in the robbery. The arrested individuals were identified as Modachher Hossain, 29, from Nangalkot in Cumilla, and Yusuf Lori, 47, from Kabirhat in Noakhali. Both have multiple robbery cases filed against them in different districts.

The press briefing was attended by senior police officials from Sadar and DB units, including the officer-in-charge and investigating officers.

Dinajpur is experiencing severe cold as the temperature dropped to 9.9 degrees Celsius at 6 a.m. on Thursday, January 1, 2026, according to the local weather office. The temperature had been 12.1 degrees Celsius on December 31, 2025. The cold wave has affected both humans and animals, with dense fog and chilly winds intensifying the situation. The humidity level was recorded at 96 percent.

The cold has severely impacted the lives of the poor and day laborers, many of whom are struggling to find work and shelter. The absence of sunlight from December 27 to 30 worsened the conditions, and even when the sun appeared on December 31, the warmth was minimal. The biting cold has made life nearly stagnant across the district.

Hospitals, including Dinajpur Medical College Hospital and local health complexes, have reported an increase in patients suffering from cold-related illnesses. Children and the elderly are particularly affected, with many admitted due to respiratory and seasonal ailments.

Students of ibtedayi madrasas in Nawabganj upazila of Dinajpur expressed joy after receiving new textbooks on the first day of the year. The distribution began at 10 a.m. on Thursday, January 1, across 39 affiliated and 34 independent ibtedayi madrasas. From early morning, students gathered at their madrasa premises to collect the colorful new books, while teachers and parents expressed satisfaction with the government’s timely distribution.

Madrasa authorities said that receiving books on the first day of the year would increase students’ interest in studies and help ensure regular classes from the start of the academic session. Parents from several madrasas thanked the government and education officials for providing free textbooks at the beginning of the school year.

Upazila Secondary Education Officer Dipak Kumar Bonik stated that the distribution was completed on schedule under government directives, generating widespread enthusiasm among students. He added that timely delivery of textbooks would make the education process more dynamic. The event followed the national curriculum policy of distributing free textbooks to primary and ibtedayi students on the first day of every year.

On January 1, 2026, many secondary-level students in Bangladesh did not receive all their free textbooks, though primary students received complete sets. According to the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), over 27 percent of secondary textbooks had not yet been supplied by the first day of the new school year. Officials said about 75 percent of secondary books had been distributed by December 31, with the remainder expected by mid-January.

NCTB officials explained that while printing and distribution for primary books were completed on time, delays occurred for grades seven and eight after the government canceled printing tenders for grades six to eight in November and reissued them. As a result, only 72.71 percent of secondary books had reached field level by the end of December, though 88 percent had been printed and 81.13 percent passed pre-distribution inspection.

Officials expect all secondary students to receive their remaining books by mid-January, though some sources indicated that full distribution could extend through January or even into February.