The Bangladesh Navy detained 11 individuals along with a motorized boat, 1,000 liters of diesel, and 650 sacks of cement allegedly being smuggled to Myanmar. The operation took place on Friday in the Kutubdia outer anchorage area of the Bay of Bengal during a routine patrol aimed at ensuring maritime security and sovereignty. According to the report, the Navy acted on secret intelligence about a smuggling ring using sea routes to evade customs duties and transport cement to Myanmar. The naval ship Shahid Mohibullah identified a suspicious fishing boat about 42 miles from the Kutubdia lighthouse. When signaled to stop, the boat attempted to flee but was intercepted and seized. The detained individuals reportedly admitted they were transporting the goods to Myanmar for higher profits. The seized materials and detainees were later handed over to the Patenga Model Police Station for legal action. The Navy stated that its patrols and operations against smuggling, terrorism, and other maritime crimes will continue in coastal and sea areas.

BNP candidate Nazmul Mostafa Amin for Chattogram-15 (Satkania-Lohagara) has said that a fair election cannot be ensured unless looted and illegal weapons from the local police station are recovered. He warned that armed groups could intimidate voters and prevent them from casting their ballots. Amin made the remarks on Saturday morning during a meeting with local journalists at the Grand Mashabi Restaurant in Lohagara. He stated that his party had information about preparations by certain groups to control polling centers. Through the media, he urged the administration to recover the weapons in the interest of the country and the nation. The meeting was attended by Chattogram South District BNP’s joint convener Asahab Uddin Chowdhury, members S.M. Salim Uddin Chowdhury, Salah Uddin Chowdhury Sohel, Fazlul Kabir Fazlu, and other BNP leaders and activists. Amin’s comments highlight the party’s concern about election security and the need for administrative action to ensure a peaceful voting environment in the constituency.

Bangladeshi expatriates in France have declared that they will continue their movement until justice is ensured for the murder of Shahid Sharif Osman Hadi, a frontline fighter of the July uprising and convener of Inquilab Mancha. The announcement came on Friday evening at a discussion and prayer event held at a restaurant near Paris, organized by the Shahid Osman Hadi Support Forum. Participants also warned that they might call for a global remittance shutdown if justice is delayed. The event was presided over by senior journalist Abdul Mannan Azad and conducted by Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, with several community leaders, journalists, and activists in attendance. Speakers highlighted Osman Hadi’s revolutionary life and his vision for a justice-based society. They criticized political and cultural decline in Bangladesh and urged the establishment of cultural centers in his memory. Participants pledged to continue united resistance until the real perpetrators are brought to justice and Hadi’s ideals of an equitable, fascism-free Bangladesh are realized.

The Sylhet district administration honored 103 expatriate Bangladeshis for their contributions to remittances and professional success. The ceremony took place on Saturday afternoon at the Kabi Nazrul Auditorium in Rikabibazar, Sylhet city. The recognition was divided into six categories: successful professionals, businesspersons, community leaders, women entrepreneurs, achievers in sports, and importers of Bangladeshi products abroad. Abdul Nasher Khan, Secretary of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, presented the awards as the chief guest. The event was attended by senior officials including the Divisional Commissioner Khan Md. Reza Un Nabi, Sylhet Metropolitan Police Commissioner Abdul Quddus Chowdhury, Deputy Commissioner Md. Sarwar Alam, Superintendent of Police Kazi Akhtarul Alam, and Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education and ICT) Masud Rana. The program began with a rally in honor of the remittance contributors, joined by expatriates, government officials, and people from various professions. According to the district administration, 582 applications were submitted over the past 20 days, and after verification, 103 individuals were selected for the honor.

As of Saturday afternoon, a total of 800,872 voters have registered through the ‘Postal Vote BD’ app to cast postal ballots in Bangladesh’s 13th national election and referendum. According to the Election Commission’s website, the registrants include 728,617 men and 72,253 women. The app allows expatriate Bangladeshis, election officials, and government employees stationed outside their home areas to register remotely. Among expatriate voters, the highest number of registrations came from Saudi Arabia with 162,993, followed by Qatar with 59,582, Oman with 46,143, Malaysia with 43,829, the United Arab Emirates with 30,874, and the United States with 26,073. Within Bangladesh, 244,661 voters have registered under the ‘in-country postal vote’ category. Comilla leads district-wise with 71,143 registrants, followed by Dhaka, Chattogram, Noakhali, Sylhet, and Chandpur. The Election Commission has extended the registration deadline to December 31. The app, launched on November 18, enables expatriates from 148 countries to register, requiring them to use their local mobile numbers for verification.

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman visited the graves of army officers killed in the 2009 Pilkhana tragedy. The visit took place on Saturday at the Banani Military Cemetery in Dhaka, where he paid respects to the fallen soldiers. He was accompanied by his chief security officer, Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr. A.K.M. Shamsul Islam. The Pilkhana tragedy occurred between 25 and 26 February 2009, when 57 army officers, including then BDR Director General Major General Shakil Ahmed, were killed. The incident remains one of the most tragic events in Bangladesh’s military history. Before visiting the martyrs’ graves, Tarique Rahman also visited the graves of his late younger brother Arafat Rahman Koko and his father-in-law Mahbub Ali Khan at the same cemetery. The visit highlighted Tarique Rahman’s continued engagement in commemorative activities related to national tragedies and family remembrance.

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has cancelled the route permits of three launches operating in the Barishal region following two separate fatal river accidents. The affected vessels are Sundarban-16 on the Barishal–Dhaka route, Adventure-9 on the same route, and Zakir Samrat-3 on the Bhola–Dhaka route. The decision came after a head-on collision between Adventure-9 and Zakir Samrat-3 on the Meghna River in Chandpur’s Haimchar area early Thursday, which left four passengers dead. A separate incident occurred the same night in Narayanganj’s Fatullah, where Sundarban-16 collided with a sand-laden bulkhead on the Buriganga River, causing the bulkhead to sink and killing two workers. BIWTA’s Barishal traffic inspector Md. Julfikar confirmed the cancellation and said a committee has been formed to investigate the accidents. Police have seized the Sundarban-16 launch and detained its staff following the Buriganga collision. Preparations are also underway to file legal cases related to the incidents. The cancellations reflect BIWTA’s immediate response to the recent fatalities and aim to ensure accountability and safety in inland water transport operations.

Maulana Muhammad Mamunul Haque, the Amir of Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis, will contest as a candidate for the Dhaka-13 constituency in the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election. His personal assistant, Maulana Zakir Hossain, confirmed that Mamunul Haque will submit his nomination papers at noon on Sunday at the Dhaka District Election Commission office in Agargaon. Party leaders are expected to accompany him during the submission. The report notes that Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis is part of an ongoing eight-party electoral alliance process that includes Jamaat-e-Islami. The nomination submission marks the formal beginning of Mamunul Haque’s participation in the election under this alliance framework. The development indicates continued coordination among smaller Islamist political groups ahead of the national polls, with Dhaka-13 emerging as one of the constituencies to watch in the alliance’s strategy.

Cumilla District Detective Branch (DB) police arrested seven members of an inter-district robbery gang, including its ringleader, while they were preparing for a robbery at Iliotganj Bazar in Daudkandi upazila. The operation took place at 1:05 a.m. on Friday night following a tip-off. Police seized an unregistered blue-yellow pickup truck, locally made weapons, and other equipment used for robbery. Several other suspects managed to flee the scene. Based on interrogation, police later recovered a locally made firearm and two rounds of cartridges from the house of the gang leader, Md. Saddam Hossain. Officer-in-Charge M. Abdul Halim of Daudkandi Model Police Station said two separate cases were filed under Penal Code sections 399/402 and the Arms Act. The arrested individuals are accused in multiple robbery cases across Cumilla, Feni, Chattogram, Noakhali, Mymensingh, Gazipur, Chandpur, and Lakshmipur districts. Police stated that operations are ongoing to capture the remaining fugitives involved in the gang’s criminal activities.

At a roundtable discussion titled 'Upcoming National Election and the Future of Bangladesh' held on December 27, 2025, at the National Press Club in Dhaka, Amar Desh editor Mahmudur Rahman stated that India does not want a credible election in Bangladesh. He argued that a free and fair election would go against India’s interests, as it would make it harder for India to exert influence and carry out what he described as harmful activities in Bangladesh. Rahman also criticized the interim government, questioning its ability to hold a fair election within the remaining six weeks before the polls. He urged civil society to demand written commitments from political parties to ensure fair voting practices and prevent electoral manipulation. Rahman further claimed that India had fully supported the Awami League government and would not extend similar backing to any future administration. Other speakers, including political scientist Dr. Dilara Chowdhury, emphasized the need for patriotism, the removal of illegal arms, and a level playing field for all parties. The event was organized by the Election Working Alliance and the Fair Election Advisory Committee and chaired by Dr. Md. Shariful Alam.

The Bangladesh Photo Journalists Association (BPJA) organized a human chain in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Saturday to protest the arson attacks on the offices of the newspapers Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, and the reported harassment of journalist Nurul Kabir. The demonstration condemned the incidents and demanded justice for those responsible. During the event, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists Secretary General Kader Gani Chowdhury said the government would bear a stain if it failed to investigate the attacks. He described the fires at the newspaper offices and the journalists’ desperate attempts to escape. My Desh Chief Reporter Bashir Jamal called for the immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of those behind the attacks, noting that similar incidents had previously targeted other media outlets such as Amar Desh, Naya Diganta, and Sangram. BPJA President A.K. Mohsin said the media had played a vital role over the past 15 years and that attacks on journalists were unacceptable. Several other journalist leaders also spoke at the protest, expressing solidarity and demanding accountability.

BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman and his daughter Jaima Rahman have completed their voter registration process at the Election Commission (EC) in Dhaka. EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed informed reporters on Saturday that the commission will make a final decision on Sunday regarding their inclusion in the official voter list. Both submitted their registration forms, provided biometric and iris data, and applied to be listed as voters in Ward 19 of Dhaka-17 constituency. According to the EC secretary, the registration was carried out under Section 15 of the Voter List Act, 2009, which authorizes the commission to include any eligible citizen as a voter. He explained that although the registration process was completed, verification of fingerprints, signatures, facial, and iris data would take some time before issuing their National ID numbers, expected later the same day. The secretary added that the decision on their inclusion is linked to the upcoming by-election scheduled for February 12. The matter will be presented to the commission, which may decide either through a formal meeting or by file circulation. The final decision is expected before the nomination submission deadline on December 29.

International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Advocate Tazul Islam has reaffirmed his determination to capture those responsible for killings. On Saturday, he expressed this commitment through a verified Facebook post, declaring that justice will not be defeated and that the perpetrators will be brought to account regardless of where they hide. The post, shared on December 27, 2025, reflects the prosecutor’s continued resolve to ensure justice under the tribunal’s mandate. His statement emphasized that no distance or concealment would protect the accused from facing justice. The message was framed as a strong assurance of accountability and faith in the judicial process. The declaration comes amid ongoing discussions about justice and accountability in Bangladesh, underscoring the tribunal’s ongoing efforts to pursue those accused of serious crimes.

Mahmudur Rahman Manna, president of Nagorik Oikya, announced that he will approach the High Court’s chamber judge on Sunday regarding a loan default issue with Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited. Speaking at a press conference at his party office on Saturday, Manna said he hopes the court’s decision will remove obstacles to his participation in the upcoming 13th national election. He explained that the dispute stems from a business loan taken in 2010 for Akafu Cold Storage Limited in Shibganj, Bogura, which later became problematic after his business partner allegedly took control and failed to repay the loan. Manna stated that the loan, originally Tk 22 crore, had grown to about Tk 38 crore with interest and penalties. He said he repaid Tk 2 crore over the past year, and Bangladesh Bank directed Islami Bank to reschedule the loan, which the bank’s board approved on December 10. However, a previous High Court stay order in his favor was unexpectedly recalled. Manna said he will seek a new order to clear his name from the defaulter list before the December 29 deadline to remain eligible for election candidacy. He expressed optimism that the upcoming hearing will resolve the issue and allow him to contest from Bogura-2, Sirajganj-1, and Dhaka-18 constituencies.

The Election Commission of Bangladesh has dispatched a total of 293,147 postal ballots to expatriate voters across various countries over the past eight days ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum. According to Salim Ahmad Khan, team leader of the Out of Country Voting System and Implementation (OCV-SDI) project, the ballots were sent throughout the week, including Friday evening, to ensure participation of overseas Bangladeshis. Election Commission sources confirmed that on Friday alone, 57,360 postal ballots were sent to expatriates in different countries, with Saudi Arabia receiving the highest number at 22,000. The previous day, 10,999 ballots were sent to the United Arab Emirates, 3,500 to the United Kingdom, 900 to Kuwait, and 17,500 to Saudi Arabia. In total, Saudi Arabia received 57,343 ballots, the highest among all destinations. Khan added that domestic postal voter registration is expected to increase, possibly reaching one million, while expatriate voter registration could exceed 600,000, reflecting growing engagement from both domestic and overseas voters.