The government pay commission of Bangladesh has proposed a new pay scale that would more than double the salaries of primary school teachers. According to the recommendation, teachers in the 13th grade would see their basic pay rise from 11,000 taka to 24,000 taka. The proposed scale sets the minimum salary for government employees at 20,000 taka and the maximum at 160,000 taka, with higher increases suggested for employees in grades 11 to 20. The commission also advised raising allowances, including tiffin benefits.

Commission chief Zakir Ahmed Khan told the media that implementing the proposal would require 1.06 trillion taka. The 23-member commission, formed on July 27 of the previous year, completed its work ahead of schedule, spending only 18 percent of its allocated budget. The report is due on February 14, and a special committee will be formed to oversee implementation.

Economic adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed said the next step is to execute the recommendations, with an implementation committee to be established to manage the process.

A devastating fire broke out on Saturday morning, January 24, 2026, on Circular Road in Gaibandha town, destroying the Bandhan Printing Press along with five nearby shops and business establishments. The blaze, which started suddenly at the printing press near Taj Cinema Hall, quickly spread to adjacent stores including Aditya Store, Niyat Varieties, Choton’s shop, and Ratan Salon. Preliminary estimates suggest that assets worth several crores of taka were reduced to ashes.

According to eyewitnesses, the fire spread rapidly, causing panic across the area. A team from the Gaibandha Fire Service arrived promptly and managed to bring the flames under control after intense efforts. However, by that time, all goods, equipment, and furniture inside the affected establishments had been completely destroyed.

The Gaibandha Fire Service stated that while the fire was contained, the exact cause of the blaze remains unknown. An investigation is underway to determine the source and assess the full extent of the damage.

Advocate Wadud, the Naib-e-Ameer of Bagerhat district Jamaat and candidate for the Bagerhat-3 (Mongla-Rampal) constituency, has warned that a group is attempting to deceive the public by showing family cards. Speaking as the chief guest at an election rally in Mithakhali Union of Mongla upazila on Saturday, January 24, 2026, he urged people to remain alert and united against extortion and corruption.

During his address, Wadud emphasized the need for collective resistance against illegal activities ahead of the upcoming national election. He stated that good initiatives would be supported while wrongdoing would be opposed, and that the public should stand together to resist injustice. He described educational institutions as the “second parliament” of Bangladesh, encouraging voters to elect honest and qualified leaders.

Wadud expressed optimism that the youth would play a decisive role in forming an honest and capable government through united voting. The rally was attended by numerous local Jamaat leaders, including Mongla upazila Jamaat’s Naib-e-Ameer and former vice chairman Md. Kohinur Sardar.

A clash broke out between two factions of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in Baraigram upazila of Natore on Saturday over setting up two separate election offices at the same spot in Ahmadpur Bazar. The incident left Kamal Hossain, a former ward member and coordinator of the Joari Union election committee, and Sajedur Rahman, member secretary of the upazila labour wing, injured.

According to local sources, BNP activists supporting Abdul Aziz, the party’s candidate for Natore-4 constituency, had opened two separate offices in Ahmadpur Bazar. On Saturday, leaders and activists gathered there under the leadership of upazila election committee convener Principal Ashraf Ali and member secretary Shamsul Alam Roni to begin campaign leaflet distribution. Disagreement arose when the committee leaders asked everyone to unite, leading to an argument that escalated into a physical altercation.

Baraigram Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abdus Salam said he had heard about the incident but no written complaint had been filed. He added that local leaders were expected to resolve the matter internally.

Police recovered the hanging body of Shahanoor Rahman, a 44-year-old officer of Sonali Bank’s Motijheel branch, from his apartment in Khilgaon, Dhaka, on Saturday, January 24, 2026. Sub-Inspector Suman Debnath of Khilgaon Police Station confirmed that the body was found around 5:30 p.m. at the victim’s third-floor flat at 429/C, Khilgaon. After completing legal procedures, the body was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue at about 8:30 p.m.

According to police citing family members, Shahanoor had been suffering from mental depression and allegedly took his own life by hanging. His younger brother, Mostafizur Rahman, said Shahanoor had divorced his wife two months earlier and was under stress due to personal bank loans. On Saturday afternoon, he reportedly locked himself in his room and was later found hanging from a ceiling fan. Police were informed and recovered the body for autopsy.

Authorities stated that the exact cause of death will be confirmed after receiving the post-mortem report.

Maulana Yasin Arafat, Jamaat-e-Islami candidate for Comilla-10 constituency and former central president of Islami Chhatra Shibir, pledged to eliminate corruption, extortion, and drug trading if elected. Speaking on Saturday afternoon at a campaign rally near the main gate of Nangalkot Government College, he said his party would end the politics of revenge, grouping, and killings in Nangalkot and ensure that no one is persecuted for political or ideological reasons.

Arafat emphasized that the future direction of Bangladesh and the next generation’s path depend on bringing the ten-party alliance to power. He urged voters to support the alliance’s symbol, the balance scale, to establish justice and welfare in the country. The rally was presided over by Maulana Jamal Uddin, Jamaat’s Nangalkot upazila amir, and attended by several local leaders and guests including banker Dr. Delwar Hossain and Maulana Golam Kabir Bhuiyan.

The event reflected Jamaat’s campaign focus on unity, justice, and moral governance ahead of the upcoming election in Comilla-10.

BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman is scheduled to visit Feni on Sunday to address a district BNP rally at Feni Pilot School field. During the event, he will meet families of eight people killed and several injured in the August 4, 2024, anti-discrimination student movement, which turned violent following attacks and shootings allegedly by Awami League activists. The BNP has formed a special team to ensure the safe transport, seating, and hospitality of the victims’ families and July movement participants.

Family members of the deceased have expressed their intention to demand justice from Tarique Rahman. Mahfuza Akter, mother of martyr Wakil Ahmed Shihab, said she would urge swift trials and ensure no accused are dropped from charge sheets. Nesar Ahmed, father of martyr Ishtiaq Ahmed Shraban, plans to ask what role the BNP would play in ensuring maximum punishment if it comes to power. Other families, including that of martyr Zakir Hossain, echoed similar demands for justice.

Lawyer Mejbah Uddin Bhuiyan, representing plaintiffs in 22 related cases, said all plaintiffs seek fair trials and have resisted attempts to exclude accused individuals from the cases.

In Saghata upazila of Gaibandha, several illegal brick kilns have been established in violation of national regulations, severely affecting the lives of residents in five nearby villages. Two unlicensed kilns, MSB Bricks and TAB Bricks, operate side by side in the Kathaltali area, producing thick black smoke that damages farmland, roads, and the local environment. Residents report that around 30 tractors and power trolleys transport topsoil from fertile fields to the kilns, causing road collapse and soil degradation.

Farmers and villagers from Satitola, Kathaltali, Baraikandi, Nashirarpra, and Gargaria complain of declining crop yields, damaged roads, and worsening air quality. The kilns operate within densely populated and agricultural zones, despite the 1989 Brick Burning Control Act (amended 2013) prohibiting such activity within one kilometer of farmland or residential areas. None of the kilns have environmental clearance.

Local agricultural officials confirm that crop yields, including Boro rice, are decreasing due to the kilns’ pollution. The Saghata Upazila Executive Officer stated that legal action will be taken once formal requisition is received from the Department of Environment.

Supporters of independent candidate Nahiduzzaman Nishad were attacked on Friday night, November 23, in the Kochua and Padumshahar areas of Saghata upazila, Gaibandha-5 constituency. Witnesses said the assault occurred around 9:30 p.m. while Nishad’s campaign workers were having tea after distributing election leaflets. A group of people reportedly attacked them with sticks, injuring several and damaging seven motorcycles. The injured were taken to Saghata Upazila Health Complex.

At nearly the same time, another group of Nishad’s supporters was holding a campaign meeting in a house in Padumshahar, where five motorcycles parked outside were completely vandalized, though no injuries were reported. Nishad, a former BNP district vice-president, alleged that BNP candidate Faruk Alam’s supporters, led by Saghata BNP member secretary Tulip, carried out the planned attack. He said he would file written complaints with Saghata police and the returning officer.

Judge Tanzir Hossain, responsible for the election inquiry and judicial committee of Gaibandha-5, confirmed awareness of the incident and said action would follow upon receiving a written complaint.

The Citizen Coalition has expressed concern over the participation of dual citizens in Bangladesh’s upcoming 13th parliamentary election, scheduled for February 12. In a statement signed by co-coordinator Fahim Mashroor on Saturday, the platform demanded that the Election Commission cancel the nominations of candidates found to hold dual citizenship after investigation. The group also urged the suspension of elections in constituencies where such allegations have newly emerged until inquiries are completed.

According to the statement, the coalition believes that proper, impartial, and strict enforcement of election laws is essential for a fair election. It cited a January 22 Transparency International press conference that revealed several candidates allegedly concealed information about foreign citizenship and overseas assets in their affidavits, which the coalition described as a clear violation of election law. Despite these allegations, the Election Commission reportedly approved their candidacies.

The Citizen Coalition warned that ignoring these issues could undermine the democratic progress achieved through national sacrifices and urged the Election Commission to act responsibly to preserve electoral integrity.

Police in Dhamrai, Dhaka, have arrested four men after a robbery case was filed by Abdur Razzak, the alleged husband of the victim in a previously reported gang-rape and robbery incident. The case was lodged after investigators found no evidence supporting the rape allegation. The arrests were made in Ramraban village of Balia Union, and the suspects were identified as Jios Chandra Moni Das, Shree Charan Moni Das, Shuvon Chandra Moni Das, and Dipu Chandra Moni Das. Police recovered a total of 8,630 taka from them during the operation.

According to Dhamrai Police Station Officer-in-Charge Nazmul Huda Khan, the case was accepted as a robbery complaint (Case No. 41) and the suspects will be presented to court for remand. One of the accused, Shree Charan Moni Das, also faces a prior drug case. The incident reportedly occurred on the night of January 13 at the home of Shanti Moni Das in Ramraban village.

Local sources said the woman involved has gone into hiding due to social stigma, and uncertainty remains over whether she is indeed Razzak’s wife or the nature of the alleged assault.

Public health experts in Bangladesh are assessing the potential impact after the United States formally withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO). The move, completed under President Donald Trump, follows earlier US withdrawals from the UN Population Fund and 66 other international bodies. Specialists say WHO has played a crucial role in Bangladesh’s health achievements, but even before the US exit was finalized, WHO activities in the country had begun to shrink.

Former health director Be-Nazir Ahmed and public health expert Mushtaq Hossain warned that reduced WHO funding could affect key programs such as immunization, disease control, emergency response, and laboratory support. They urged political parties to ensure alternative financing and increased domestic allocations to prevent disruptions. WHO has long supported Bangladesh in eliminating diseases like polio and kala-azar, and in vaccine distribution, maternal health, and pandemic preparedness.

The WHO chief has acknowledged that the organization faces a funding crisis following the US withdrawal. Analysts fear that if Bangladesh loses WHO support, public health services and disease eradication efforts could face serious setbacks.

Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) reported that recent heavy snowfall and rain have killed 61 people across multiple provinces. According to a report by Tolo News, 110 others were injured and 458 houses were damaged or destroyed. The affected provinces include Kabul, Parwan, Panjshir, Bamiyan, Daikundi, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Herat, Ghor, Badghis, Faryab, Sar-e Pol, Balkh, Samangan, and Nuristan.

Residents in several areas said that blocked roads and severe weather have made it difficult to reach hospitals and emergency services. They appealed to the government for urgent assistance. Locals described worsening conditions due to extreme cold and unemployment, with many lacking warm clothing and basic supplies.

Experts warned that Afghanistan needs long-term planning, stronger infrastructure resilience, and improved early warning systems to better handle such disasters, which threaten thousands of lives each winter.

Beijing has launched an investigation into two of China’s highest-ranking military officials, marking the latest phase in President Xi Jinping’s campaign to consolidate control over the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The Ministry of Defense announced that Central Military Commission (CMC) Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and Joint Staff Chief Liu Zhenli are under investigation for “serious disciplinary and legal violations.” Their removal leaves the CMC with its fewest members in history, now comprising only Xi Jinping and Zhang Shengmin, the head of the military’s anti-corruption body.

The CMC is China’s top military decision-making body, responsible for strategy and operations. Analysts note that the probe underscores Xi’s tightening grip on the armed forces, continuing a years-long effort to ensure political loyalty within the PLA. While “disciplinary violations” often refer to corruption, such investigations have historically been used to eliminate political rivals. Researcher Tristan Tang of the Pacific Forum said the move highlights Xi’s strength and may also relate to inefficiencies in defense resource management and combat readiness.

The investigation could last months or years, with most accused officials typically detained, convicted, and stripped of their positions and party membership.

Hasan Molla, general secretary of the Hazratpur Union unit of the BNP, died on Saturday, January 24, 2026, while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He had been critically injured in a gun attack by unidentified assailants on the night of January 22 in the Jagannathpur area of Keraniganj’s Hazratpur Union. According to his brother-in-law Nazim Uddin, who is also vice president of the Keraniganj Model Thana BNP, Molla succumbed to his injuries around 4 p.m.

Local residents said that on the night of the attack, unknown gunmen arrived on motorcycles and fired three to four rounds in front of the BNP office in Ward 5 before fleeing. The attackers had covered their faces with cloths, preventing identification. Molla was rescued in a bloodied state and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where his condition worsened, leading to his transfer to the ICU.

Additional Superintendent of Police Jahangir Alam stated that Molla’s family had not yet filed a case, and further action would follow once a complaint is lodged.