Flight operations at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka were disrupted on Friday due to dense fog, prompting authorities to divert several flights to ensure passenger safety. According to airport sources, nine flights were redirected to alternative airports as visibility dropped sharply in the morning. Of the diverted flights, four were sent to Chattogram’s Shah Amanat International Airport, four to Kolkata Airport in India, and one to Bangkok Airport in Thailand. The decision was taken as part of standard safety measures during adverse weather conditions. Authorities later confirmed that flight operations gradually returned to normal as weather conditions improved. With visibility restored, all flights resumed regular takeoff and landing schedules at the Dhaka airport.

The Pay Commission has indicated that it aims to submit its final recommendations for the ninth pay scale to the government by mid-January 2026. According to commission sources, a tentative obligation exists to complete the submission within that period, though the exact date will be confirmed after the next full commission meeting. The report could be submitted earlier if all preparations are completed on time. Discussions within the commission remain ongoing regarding the number of salary grades and the minimum and maximum pay levels. Members are divided on whether to retain the existing 20-grade structure or reduce it to 16 or 14 grades to address pay disparities. At least two more full meetings are expected before a consensus is reached and the final report is prepared. The commission is currently analyzing hundreds of proposals and opinions received from various organizations and departments. Officials said that the drafting process is underway, but additional time is needed to ensure the recommendations are realistic and sustainable.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has released the full schedule for Bangladesh’s 2026 home cricket series. According to the announced calendar, Bangladesh will host Pakistan, New Zealand, Australia, India, and the West Indies across all three formats—Tests, One-Day Internationals, and Twenty20s—making it one of the busiest years for the national team. Pakistan will visit in March for a three-match ODI series on March 12, 14, and 16, followed by a return in May for a two-match Test series that forms part of the ICC World Test Championship. Between April and May, Bangladesh will face New Zealand in three ODIs and three T20Is. In June, Australia will play three ODIs and three T20Is, while India will tour in August–September for three ODIs and three T20Is. The year will conclude with a two-match Test series against the West Indies in October–November, preceded by a three-day warm-up match. Additionally, Sri Lanka ‘A’ will tour Bangladesh in May for two four-day matches and three one-day games against Bangladesh ‘A’. The packed schedule has generated renewed excitement among local cricket fans.

The nomination paper of Mahmudur Rahman Manna, president of Nagorik Oikya and former DUCSU vice president, has been canceled for the Bogura-2 (Shibganj) constituency. The district returning officer and Bogura Deputy Commissioner Md. Taufiqul Islam announced the decision on Friday at 4 p.m. during the scrutiny of nomination papers for the 13th National Parliamentary Election. The cancellation was based on inconsistencies in the affidavit information and discrepancies in the date of signature on the notary public documents. The returning officer advised that appeals could be filed against the decision. Earlier, the nomination of Jatiya Party’s former MP Shariful Islam Jinnah was also canceled due to a pending case related to the July Movement attack. Other valid candidates for the constituency include Mir Shahe Alam (BNP), Maulana Abul Azad Md. Shahadatuzzaman (Jamaat-e-Islami), and Md. Jamal Uddin (Islami Andolan). A total of seven candidates had submitted nomination forms for Bogura-2, but the nominations of Ganadhikar Parishad’s Selim Sarkar and independent candidate Rezaul Karim Talukder were also rejected.

A hearing-impaired farmer named Akimuddin Kazi was killed after being struck by a Dhaka-bound train in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur district on Friday morning. The incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. near the Brahmankanda railway bridge in Manikdah Union. The death was confirmed by local Union Parishad member Mohammad Alamgir Hossain. Railway station manager Zillur Rahman said the body was handed over to the family as no complaint was filed. According to local sources, Akimuddin left his home early in the morning without informing anyone and was crossing the railway bridge when the moving train hit him. Family members, with help from locals, recovered the body before railway police arrived. Akimuddin, son of the late Hossain Kazi, was the father of three sons and one daughter. His death has cast a shadow of grief over the area. Police confirmed that no further legal action was taken as the family did not lodge any complaint regarding the incident.

The admission test for the science faculty’s A unit of Chittagong University’s 2025–26 academic session was held on Friday from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Various student organizations, including Chittagong University Central Students’ Union (ChakSU), Chhatra Dal, and Chhatra Shibir, provided assistance to examinees and their guardians. This year, 233,327 students are competing for 4,165 seats across four units and three sub-units, meaning 56 candidates per seat. ChakSU set up six information centers, six guardian pavilions, and two medical booths across the campus to guide and support visitors. It also formed three patrol teams to prevent irregularities such as overcharging at food stalls and in transport, and published a hotline number for complaints. Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir each deployed around 200 volunteers to distribute water, pens, and snacks, and to offer basic medical help. Leaders from these groups said their goal was to ensure a smooth and supportive environment for all candidates. According to ChakSU leaders, the presence of an active student union this year contributed to a better experience for examinees compared to previous years.

The 15th Chapai Festival 2026 will be held in Dhaka on Saturday, January 3, organized by the Chapainawabganj District Association. The daylong event will take place at the Institution of Engineers auditorium in Ramna, aiming to strengthen cultural roots and fraternity among residents from Chapainawabganj living in the capital. The festival will be presided over by Engineer Nurul Islam, Chief Engineer of RAJUK and president of the association, with the chairman of the Land Reform Board attending as a special guest. According to organizers, the festival’s main attractions include traditional Gambhira performances featuring humorous and contemporary songs, as well as regional food stalls offering Chapai’s famous Kalai Ruti and Mashkalai Dal. Distinguished personalities and meritorious students from the district will also be honored during the event. General Secretary Advocate Delwar Hossain stated that the festival aims to highlight Chapainawabganj’s history, culture, and potential at the national level while fostering social harmony and unity among expatriate residents of the district.

Eleven candidates, including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami nominee Mohammad Yusuf Hakim Sohel, had their nominations canceled in Comilla-1, Comilla-2, and Comilla-3 constituencies. The decision came on Friday afternoon following a scrutiny session at the Comilla Deputy Commissioner's office, where the district returning officer declared their nomination papers invalid. The returning officer, Md. Reza Hasan, confirmed the cancellations after the verification process. Meanwhile, the scrutiny committee validated the nominations of several candidates, including BNP nominees Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Khandaker Maruf Hossain, and others from Comilla-1, Comilla-2, and Comilla-3. Jamaat candidate Yusuf Sohel stated that his nomination was rejected due to a minor error and that he plans to appeal after resolving the issue. Election-related sources explained that nominations can be canceled for errors, inconsistencies, or missing documents. According to Election Commission rules, disqualified candidates may appeal within the stipulated timeframe. The verification of nomination papers for the remaining five of Comilla’s eleven constituencies is scheduled for Saturday.

Renowned Bangladeshi rhymester Sukumar Barua passed away at 6:55 a.m. on Friday at JK Memorial Hospital in Gahira, Raozan upazila of Chattogram. He was 88 years old. His daughter Anjana Barua told the media that he had been hospitalized for a week at a medical center in Chattogram and was later moved to JK Memorial Hospital, where he died while under treatment due to fluid accumulation in his lungs. Born on January 5, 1938, in Madhyam Binajuri village of Raozan, Barua began his career in the 1960s as a fourth-class employee at the University of Dhaka. He started writing in 1963 while living in a rented house on Topkhana Road and retired in 1999 as a storekeeper from the same university. Over nearly six decades, he became known by titles such as “Chhararaj” and “Chharashilpi” for his humorous and satirical rhymes that often carried moral lessons, patriotic spirit, and political messages. Barua received the Ekushey Padak in 2017 for his contributions to language and literature, along with several other honors including the Bangla Academy Literary Award and the Bangladesh Shishu Academy Literary Award.

Israel has removed Palestinian authority over the historic Ibrahimi Mosque, transferring planning and construction powers to Israeli institutions, according to reports on January 2, 2026. Palestinian officials warned that this move would strengthen Israel’s control over the occupied West Bank city and risk permanently altering the site’s status. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned the decision, calling it a direct violation of the mosque’s legal and historical status. The ministry said the cancellation of municipal and Islamic Waqf jurisdiction was part of a broader effort to impose unilateral Israeli control. Palestinian officials also denounced Israel’s approval to build a roof over the mosque’s courtyard, describing it as illegal and contrary to international law and UN resolutions. The ministry emphasized that the move was not about development but a deliberate attempt to consolidate occupation and forcibly change the character of one of Palestine’s most significant religious and cultural landmarks.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has announced his readiness to engage in discussions with the United States on issues related to drug trafficking and oil. Speaking in an interview broadcast on Venezuela’s state television on Thursday, Maduro said he was willing to meet at any place and time preferred by the United States. He also expressed interest in including migration matters in the talks. The statement came amid heightened tensions between the two countries. The U.S. president had earlier claimed that American forces carried out an attack in a Venezuelan jetty area, a question Maduro avoided addressing. Over the past three months, U.S. naval forces have conducted operations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific regions against vessels suspected of drug trafficking, resulting in more than 110 deaths. The United States has yet to provide evidence of drug smuggling on those ships. Additionally, U.S. forces have taken strict actions against oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela. On December 10, an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast was seized by U.S. forces, who alleged it was transporting authorized oil from Venezuela and Iran. Venezuela described the incident as an act of international piracy.

Pakistan has warned India regarding its proposed hydropower project on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Husei Andrabi stated that under the Indus Water Treaty, India cannot misuse its limited permission to construct hydropower projects unilaterally on western rivers. Andrabi expressed concern that Pakistan had not been informed about the project, reportedly named Dulhasti Stage 2. The Indus Water Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, grants India full rights over the eastern rivers—Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas—while Pakistan holds rights over the western rivers—Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. India is allowed limited use of the western rivers for power generation. Andrabi said that if India proceeds with the project, it would constitute a serious violation of the treaty’s written limitations. He emphasized that Pakistan prefers to resolve disputes peacefully but warned that Islamabad would not tolerate any deliberate breach of the treaty or actions harming Pakistan’s national interests.

In the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election, candidates from the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami have submitted nomination papers for the Cox’s Bazar-4 constituency, which includes Ukhiya and Teknaf. Analysis of their affidavits shows a major disparity in wealth and income between BNP’s Shahjahan Chowdhury and Jamaat’s Principal Nur Ahmad Anwari. Shahjahan, the district BNP president and former MP, declared assets worth about Tk 10.9 crore, roughly 21 times higher than Anwari’s Tk 51.5 lakh. According to Shahjahan’s affidavit, his annual income is around Tk 12 lakh, with most earnings from house rent, agriculture, and fisheries. His immovable assets include 15 acres of agricultural land, 0.52 acres of non-agricultural land, 20.66 acres of leased government land, a house, and 2.5 flats. He also owns a shotgun, a revolver, a Proton Jeep, and 10 tolas of gold, with no liabilities. In contrast, Anwari’s assets include a house, 0.6 acres of land, Tk 15.24 lakh in bank deposits, and 10 tolas of gold. The nomination papers for Cox’s Bazar-4 will be scrutinized at the district returning officer’s office at noon on Saturday, where five candidates are competing in total.

A fruit trader named Ershad Khan, aged 35, was killed in a road accident in Naria upazila of Shariatpur on Friday morning. The incident occurred around 7 a.m. in front of the Naria Livestock Office on the Naria–Shariatpur road when a truck ran over him. Police later conducted an operation and detained both the truck and its driver. According to the report, Ershad Khan, son of Mesher Kha from South Naria village under Naria municipality, was heading to Naria market by motorcycle as part of his daily routine. While overtaking a cement-laden truck, his motorcycle collided head-on with an oncoming trolley. He lost control, fell onto the road, and was crushed under the truck’s rear wheel, dying instantly at the scene. The accident caused temporary disruption to traffic and deep sorrow among local residents. Police quickly arrived, brought the situation under control, and recovered the body. Naria Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Bahar Mia confirmed the incident.

Two motorcyclists were killed and two others injured when a speeding truck hit a motorcycle from behind in Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha early Thursday night. The accident occurred around midnight on the Dhaka–Rangpur highway at the Fasitla flyover area under Kamardah Union. The truck crushed the motorcycle, killing two riders on the spot. The truck’s helper and another motorcyclist were seriously injured and later taken to Gobindaganj Upazila Health Complex by the local fire service team. The deceased were identified as Jony Mia, 40, of Buzruk Boalia village in Gobindaganj municipality, and Siddiqur Rahman Siddiq, 42, of Patoa village in Nakai Union. The injured motorcyclist was Shariful Islam, 45, from Dhankhunia village of the same union. Officer-in-Charge Mozzafar Hossain of Gobindaganj Highway Police confirmed the deaths, stating that the victims’ bodies were handed over to their families and the truck involved in the crash was seized. Police have taken the truck into custody as part of the ongoing investigation into the fatal road accident.