Bangladesh Football Federation President Tawfiq Awal has strongly criticized India’s decision to exclude Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). According to the report, Hindu nationalist groups had been protesting to remove Mustafizur, leading the Indian government to instruct the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to act. Following that directive, Kolkata Knight Riders dropped the player from their squad. Awal expressed deep disappointment, saying that Mustafizur was selected based on merit but was removed due to political pressure. He urged Indian authorities and the BCCI to keep politics out of sports, calling the move an act of injustice and intolerance against a world-class athlete targeted for his nationality. Awal emphasized that sports should unite people rather than divide them and reminded that historically, games have helped end conflicts and foster understanding. He concluded by expressing solidarity with Mustafizur, assuring that the entire nation stands by him and encouraging him to stay strong.

Bangladesh has announced a strong retaliatory move against India following the exclusion of cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League (IPL). Acting under the directive of the interim government led by Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) declared that the national team will not travel to India for the upcoming World Cup. The government expressed deep concern over player safety, questioning how India could ensure the security of an entire team when it failed to protect one player. The decision has been formally communicated to the International Cricket Council (ICC), and a suspension of IPL broadcasts in Bangladesh is under consideration. Sports adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul condemned India’s move as a surrender to extremist groups, while Information Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan said silence was no longer an option. The Foreign Ministry described the response as part of a necessary diplomatic measure. A senior Bangladeshi diplomat criticized India for politicizing minority issues, saying such actions have worsened bilateral relations and fueled hostility between the two nations. The controversy began when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) expelled Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL, citing false allegations of minority persecution in Bangladesh.

Dhaka University has published the admission test results for its Business Studies Unit for the 2025–26 academic year. The results were officially announced on Sunday night after 10 p.m. through the university’s website, according to the university’s public relations office. Applicants can now check their results by logging into admission.eis.du.ac.bd or by sending an SMS following the instructions on their admit cards. The results show a significantly lower pass rate compared to last year, with about 90 percent of candidates failing to achieve the minimum passing marks. Out of 34,062 applicants competing for 1,050 seats, only 10 percent passed, meaning roughly 32 candidates vied for each seat. The admission test was held on December 6 across the Dhaka University campus, various centers in the capital, and four divisional cities. According to the seat distribution, 930 seats are allocated for Business Studies students, 95 for Science students, and 25 for Humanities students.

The government has decided to organize large-scale workshops in every administrative division to clarify the content of the upcoming referendum to the public. The decision was made on Sunday afternoon at a meeting chaired by Dr. Ali Riaz, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser and Chief Coordinator of the public awareness campaign on the referendum. Secretaries, director generals, and divisional commissioners from various ministries and departments attended the meeting. The information was later confirmed through a press release issued by the Senior Assistant Secretary of the Chief Coordinator’s office, Mir Alif Reza. According to the release, officials and representatives will use the workshops to prepare for grassroots-level campaigns, distributing leaflets and explaining the referendum details to voters. The plan also includes training religious leaders under the supervision of the Islamic Foundation so they can help disseminate information among the general public. The meeting further decided to hold awareness sessions at divisional, district, and upazila levels with participation from local officials, civil society, journalists, NGOs, and community representatives. These initiatives aim to ensure that voters across all regions receive accurate and comprehensive information about the upcoming referendum.

The National Press Club has announced a citizen memorial meeting to honor the late national leader and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman has confirmed his participation in the event, according to club leaders on Sunday. Earlier in the evening, members of the club’s management committee met Tarique Rahman at the BNP chairperson’s political office in Gulshan to express condolences and invite him to the memorial. He accepted the invitation, and the date of the event will be decided later. During the meeting, the National Press Club delegation, including its president Hasan Hafiz and general secretary Ayub Bhuiyan, conveyed their sympathy to Tarique Rahman. The club’s management committee also adopted a condolence motion expressing deep sorrow at Khaleda Zia’s passing, describing her as a legendary political figure and a true friend of journalists. The statement highlighted her contributions to the press, including land leases, financial support, and initiatives for journalists’ housing and media development. The club emphasized that Khaleda Zia’s legacy of supporting media freedom and journalist welfare will be remembered by the press community for generations.

The nomination of Mujibul Haque Chunnu, former secretary general and a factional chairman of the Jatiya Party, was canceled in the Kishoreganj-3 (Karimganj-Tarail) constituency. The incident occurred on Sunday during the scrutiny of nomination papers at the district returning officer’s office, where commotion broke out. The returning officer, Mohammad Aslam Molla, declared the cancellation citing multiple errors in the affidavit, including concealment of case information, loan default, and absence of the party chairman’s signature. Chunnu was not present during the verification; his representative attended on his behalf. According to the report, some people at the office accused Chunnu of being an ally of the Awami League and demanded punishment. The article notes that Chunnu, who served twice as a minister under the Awami League government, had previously presented himself as a Jatiya Party and Awami League-supported candidate in the 2024 national election. He had not visited his home or constituency since August 5, 2024, after Sheikh Hasina left the country, and local residents had organized a protest against him. The cancellation adds uncertainty to the political landscape of Kishoreganj-3, where scrutiny of other candidates’ nominations is ongoing.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was arrested late Saturday night by US special forces in Caracas. The 63-year-old leader had previously, in an August speech, called US President Donald Trump a coward and challenged him to come and capture him. The arrest took place at a secured location in the Venezuelan capital, where Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were detained and taken into US custody. On Sunday, the White House released a 61-second video on social media platform X mocking Maduro. The video interspersed clips of Maduro’s August remarks with footage of the Delta Force operation in Caracas and images of the detained couple. It also included a segment from a press conference where US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that Maduro had a chance to avoid this outcome but lost it. According to the report, Maduro and his wife face charges in the United States for cocaine importation and illegal possession of weapons. They are currently being held at a Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York.

NCP member secretary Akhtar Hossain said no decision has yet been made on who would become prime minister if the Jamaat-e-Islami alliance comes to power. Speaking to reporters on Sunday at the NCP’s temporary central office in Banglamotor after a meeting with senior officials from the US Embassy, he said discussions on government formation and seat distribution within the alliance are still ongoing and will be finalized soon. Hossain explained that the NCP joined the Jamaat alliance to pursue judicial and structural reforms and to build a corruption-free, independent Bangladesh. He said the alliance emerged naturally due to shared reform goals, noting that the NCP aims to strengthen its position by working collectively rather than alone. During the meeting with US officials, the NCP delegation outlined the alliance’s background and expressed concerns about law and order and political violence ahead of the election. Hossain also emphasized maintaining Bangladesh’s long-standing friendship with the United States and discussed the need for foreign policy that protects national interests while upholding democratic values.

Bangladesh’s joint forces are set to begin a nationwide operation aimed at maintaining law and order ahead of the upcoming national election. Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd.) Abul Fazl Md. Sanaullah announced the initiative on Sunday during a special meeting organized by the Cox’s Bazar district administration. He said the operation will focus on three primary objectives and that a circular from the Ministry of Home Affairs is expected to be issued soon. According to Sanaullah, the first goal of the operation is to recover illegal weapons and prevent their misuse during the election period. The second objective is to arrest identified criminals and bring them under legal action. The third is to ensure compliance with the electoral code of conduct, with joint forces intervening in major violations while routine committees handle minor issues. He also instructed law enforcement agencies to seal Rohingya camps and strengthen surveillance along land and sea borders to prevent criminal activities. The Election Commission has already held meetings with all force chiefs, and all headquarters have been informed about the operation’s scope and directives.

BBC interviewed Mark Weller, director of the International Law Program at Chatham House, regarding the legality of the process by which Nicolás Maduro was removed and detained. Weller explained that the United States claims it can take legal action under its judicial system against drug trafficking, even when such activities involve foreign nationals. However, he questioned the legality of the operation that led to Maduro’s detention, describing the Friday night raid as an act of armed aggression. Weller argued that there is no lawful justification for using force to detain someone in this manner and that the only legitimate procedure would have been through a United Nations mandate, which the United States did not have. He further described the idea that the United States could run Venezuela as a strange notion. The discussion highlights ongoing international legal concerns surrounding the US approach to foreign interventions and the boundaries of jurisdiction in cross-border criminal enforcement.

NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain said the party plans to contest the upcoming national election in alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami to build a corruption-free and reformed Bangladesh. He made the remarks on Sunday after a meeting between NCP representatives and senior officials of the US Embassy at the party’s temporary central office in Banglamotor, Dhaka. Hossain explained that the NCP and Jamaat share similar reform goals, which led to a natural alignment between them. During the meeting, the NCP delegation briefed the US officials on the political and law-and-order situation, including recent killings and the lack of a level playing field. Hossain said the US representatives viewed the people’s democratic choices positively. He added that the NCP aims to maintain Bangladesh’s long-standing friendly relations with the United States while safeguarding national interests in foreign policy. Hossain also mentioned that seat-sharing discussions within the alliance are ongoing and final decisions will be announced soon. The NCP expects to cross the electoral threshold with support from its 11-party coalition.

A court in Habiganj has granted bail to Mahdi Hasan, the member secretary of the district branch of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. He was brought to court under strict security on Sunday after being arrested on charges of obstructing police duties and issuing threats. The bail was approved by Judicial Magistrate Abdul Mannan following a hearing, with two guarantors and a bond of 200 taka. According to local sources, advocates M.A. Majid and Abdul Malek filed the bail petition on Mahdi’s behalf. His arrest followed an incident on January 2, when police detained a student named Nazmul Hasan Noyon, an active member of the same movement. Mahdi went to the police station to seek his release, during which his remarks reportedly angered the police. He was arrested the next day, January 3. Following Mahdi’s detention, protests were reported in Habiganj, Dhaka, and other parts of the country. He was formally charged with obstructing police work and making threats before being presented to the court.

NCP member secretary Akhtar Hossain described the Election Commission’s decision to allow the Jatiya Party to contest in the upcoming polls as an 'agency game'. Speaking to reporters on Sunday at the party’s temporary central office in Banglamotor after a meeting with senior officials from the US Embassy, he urged the commission not to permit the Jatiya Party, which he said had created autocracy, to take part in the election. He alleged that the commission was exploiting legal loopholes to facilitate the party’s participation. NCP joint convener Sultan Mohammad Zakaria said the United States viewed positively the alliance between NCP and Jamaat-e-Islami, which he described as 'natural allies' sharing common reform and justice goals. He detailed that a four-member NCP delegation had earlier met US Embassy officials to discuss election preparations, political risks, and possible technical assistance from the US side. Zakaria added that the hour-long discussion also covered mutual cooperation as development partners and that the US diplomats appreciated NCP’s stance against dominance and for ensuring justice after the election.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced that the party’s acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, will formally assume the position of chairman within the next few days. He made the statement on Sunday evening during an exchange with journalists in Sylhet, following visits to the shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal and Shah Paran. Mirza Fakhrul stated that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will begin its election campaign from Sylhet, describing the upcoming election as crucial for the nation. He said that citizens have long been deprived of their voting rights. Referring to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, he remarked that she made a dignified exit through democratic struggle and expressed hope for building the democratic Bangladesh she had envisioned. Addressing other political parties, Mirza Fakhrul urged them to make use of the current opportunity, emphasizing that democracy and democratic culture cannot be established overnight. He also expressed determination to form a democratic parliament.

A total of 2,568 candidates submitted nomination papers for Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliamentary Election. After four days of scrutiny, the Election Commission (EC) announced on Sunday that 1,842 candidates were declared valid while 726 nominations were rejected for various irregularities. The rejected candidates include Jatiya Party faction chairman Anisul Islam Mahmud and independent candidate Tasnim Zara. Appeals against acceptance or rejection can be filed from January 5 to 9 at the EC headquarters in Agargaon, with hearings scheduled between January 10 and 18. Voting is set for February 12. The EC cited reasons such as false or missing affidavit information, concealment of cases, loan default, dual citizenship, and inconsistencies in voter signatures for independent candidates. In Dhaka, 63 nominations were rejected, though all BNP candidates were declared valid. Several candidates, including from BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and smaller parties, said they would appeal the decisions. Regional officials confirmed that scrutiny was completed across most constituencies by Saturday. The appeal process may alter the final list of candidates before the February election, depending on EC rulings.