Sharmin S. Murshid, advisor to the Ministry of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, emphasized the urgent need for an AI policy for these ministries. She made the remarks on Sunday at the opening ceremony of the Responsible AI Summit 2026, held at the Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) in Mirpur, Dhaka. Murshid noted that these ministries serve Bangladesh’s most marginalized and vulnerable communities, making a tailored AI policy essential.

She highlighted that while global technology is advancing rapidly, AI systems often fail to understand Bangladesh’s language and lifestyle, creating barriers to adoption. Murshid urged students to research and develop AI technologies aligned with local culture and language to help the nation progress technologically. She also stated that MIST would remain active in promoting responsible AI through education and research.

The summit featured keynote speaker Dr. Upol Ehsan from Northeastern University and Harvard University, who underscored the importance of developing locally made AI solutions suited to Bangladesh’s needs. Two panel discussions explored academia’s role in fostering responsible AI practices.

Leaflets titled 'Yes' promoting support for change in the upcoming referendum will be distributed to every household across Dhaka city. The campaign will also include drop-down banners and billboards on high-rise buildings, decorative festoons on road dividers, and sticker displays at various installations to encourage citizens to vote 'Yes' for building a democratic, humane, and prosperous Bangladesh.

The plan was announced during a meeting held on Sunday afternoon between Professor Ali Riaz, Special Assistant (with adviser status) to the Chief Adviser, and senior officials including Local Government and Rural Development Secretary Rezaul Maksud Zahidi, Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Mohammad Ejaz, and Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Md. Mahmudul Hasan. Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Monir Haidar was also present at the meeting.

The initiative aims to ensure citywide awareness and participation in the forthcoming referendum through coordinated publicity efforts across both city corporations.

The Forest Department has recovered and destroyed more than 200 traps used for deer hunting in the Satkhira range of the western Sundarbans. The operation took place on Sunday morning through noon in the Phulkhali area under the Kolagachhia patrol outpost. Forest officials and members of the local Community Patrolling Group (CPG) participated in identifying and dismantling the traps.

Forest Ranger Md. Fazlul Haque stated that regular foot patrols in the forest can help protect wildlife. He noted that poachers often enter the forest using various tactics to set traps in convenient locations, endangering deer and other important wildlife species. The operation was led by foresters Taibur Rahman and Shahinur Rahman, along with CPG members.

Fazlul Haque expressed hope that strengthening regular foot patrols would significantly reduce wildlife poaching in the Sundarbans, contributing to the protection of its biodiversity.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen announced that he will visit the Teesta project area. He made the statement during a courtesy meeting with National Security Adviser Dr. Khaliqul Rahman at the Chief Adviser’s Office in Dhaka on Sunday. According to a press release from the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing, both sides discussed issues of mutual interest and reaffirmed the long-standing friendship and development cooperation between Bangladesh and China.

During the meeting, discussions covered the integrated management and restoration of the Teesta River and the proposed Bangladesh-China Friendship Hospital. The ambassador reiterated China’s commitment to completing the ongoing technical assessment of the Teesta project as soon as possible. He also expressed his government’s continued support for Bangladesh’s democratic transition and conveyed good wishes for the upcoming national election.

Both parties expressed satisfaction with the positive progress in bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation for mutual benefit.

The Department of Narcotics Control in Manikganj has taken former BNP Mahila Dal leader Raha Mahamuda Poli into custody for questioning over alleged involvement with drugs. She was detained on Sunday, January 18, after local residents in Joyra area reported her to the authorities. The department’s deputy director Sheikh Muhammad Khaledul Karim confirmed the detention, stating that officials are interrogating her to determine whether she is linked to the seized narcotics.

According to the department, further legal action will be taken if the allegations are proven. Investigators are also examining whether anyone might have planted the drugs to falsely implicate her. Poli had previously been expelled from all party positions on September 23 of the previous year for activities deemed contrary to party policy, ideals, and discipline.

The expulsion notice, signed by Mahila Dal’s central president Afroza Abbas and general secretary Sultana Ahmed, cited multiple allegations against Poli, including land grabbing, drug use and trade, harassment of neighbors, and unethical relationships.

The National Citizens Party (NCP) has announced that it is reconsidering its participation in the upcoming national election, alleging that the Election Commission (EC) is biased in favor of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). NCP spokesperson and central election committee chairman Asif Mahmud made the statement on Sunday at a press conference held at the party’s temporary central office in Banglamotor, Dhaka.

Mahmud accused the EC of partiality on several issues, including the validation of nominations for dual citizens and loan defaulters. He said the NCP lacks confidence in the commission’s ability to hold a free and fair election. The party will make a collective decision after discussions within its ten-party electoral alliance. Mahmud also mentioned that the NCP is preparing to take to the streets after consulting with allied parties.

He further alleged that during appeal hearings on candidate eligibility, election commissioners met with BNP leaders and issued rulings that violated the Representation of the People Order and the constitution. Other NCP officials, including Monira Sharmin and Zahirul Islam, were present at the briefing.

A motorcyclist attached a white envelope with tape to the moving bulletproof car of BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman and quickly fled the scene in Dhaka’s Gulshan area. The incident occurred around 11:45 p.m. last Wednesday on Road 65 while Rahman was returning home from his office. His personal security team was accompanying the convoy at the time. Police at Gulshan Police Station later filed a general diary over the incident.

According to Officer-in-Charge Rakibul Islam, the motorcyclist, riding a white Hero Hunk bike, approached at high speed and stuck the envelope to the vehicle before driving away toward the American Club. A video of the event was recovered but was not clear enough to identify the rider. Police have yet to determine the motorcyclist’s identity or the contents of the envelope.

Deputy Commissioner of Gulshan Division Rawnak Alam said the investigation is ongoing. The envelope remains in the custody of Rahman’s personal security force, and police have not been informed of its contents.

RAB-11 has arrested a notorious robber named Sabbir along with local weapons and illegal drugs in Fatullah, Narayanganj. The arrest took place at 3:20 p.m. on Sunday in the Godaraghata Haji’s Field area under Fatullah Police Station. Two of Sabbir’s associates were also detained during the operation. According to RAB-11, the raid was conducted by the CPC-1 team of Narayanganj based on secret intelligence and surveillance.

RAB sources stated that Md. Sabbir is a well-known robber and drug dealer with four criminal cases filed against him in different police stations, including charges of robbery, theft, mugging, drug trafficking, and murder. For a long time, he and his associates had been spreading fear in Fatullah and nearby areas through robbery, mugging, and drug trading.

After the arrest, the detainees were handed over to Fatullah Police Station for further legal action, according to RAB-11.

A 24-year-old woman named Amena Begum died after allegedly being forced to drink poison by her husband and mother-in-law in Bardona village of Satkania upazila, Chattogram. The incident occurred on January 16, and she died the following night while undergoing treatment at Chittagong Medical College Hospital. Police confirmed the incident and said that legal action would be taken after investigation.

According to family members, Amena married Mohammad Yusuf in 2022, and since then, she had faced frequent physical and mental abuse over family disputes. Her nephew alleged that on the day of the incident, she was beaten throughout the day before being forced to consume poison. Afterward, the accused reportedly fled the house. Before her death, Amena allegedly stated that her husband and mother-in-law had forced her to drink poison.

Local union panel chairman Md. Belal Uddin said there had been several arbitration meetings over the couple’s disputes, and he expressed sorrow over Amena’s death. Police are continuing their investigation into the case.

BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman is set to visit Chattogram on January 25, 2026, after more than two decades. According to the announced schedule, he will attend a BNP-organized rally at the city’s Polo Ground as the chief guest. His last visit to Chattogram was on May 6, 2005, when he served as the party’s senior joint secretary general. This will be his first visit to the port city since being declared BNP chairperson on January 9, 2026.

BNP leaders and activists in Chattogram are preparing extensively for his arrival, expressing strong enthusiasm and optimism. Separate plans have been made by the city and district BNP units to welcome him. The party expects a gathering of around 1.5 million people at the rally, where Rahman is anticipated to deliver a message of unity to strengthen the party’s campaign for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. Three subcommittees—discipline, publicity, and reception—have been formed to coordinate the event.

Local BNP leaders, including Chattogram City Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain, said the city is eagerly awaiting Rahman’s visit, expecting the day to turn into a festive occasion for residents.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) recovered a 120-kilogram ancient stone idol from Alfadanga in Faridpur on Sunday afternoon. Acting on a tip-off, a team from RAB-10 Faridpur CPC-3 camp conducted an operation at Buraiich village and found the idol behind the pond of Akbar Sheikh’s house. During the operation, RAB detained Akbar Sheikh’s younger son, Saddam Sheikh, aged 34.

Following the recovery, RAB filed a case with Alfadanga Police Station. The station’s Officer-in-Charge, Abul Hasnat, confirmed that RAB handed over the arrested person and the idol to local police. He added that the suspect would be presented before the court after completion of legal procedures.

The recovered idol is believed to be around a hundred years old, and authorities are proceeding with legal actions regarding its possession and recovery.

Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus has called on all political parties and citizens to work together to ensure a successful national election and referendum scheduled for February 12. He made the remarks during a meeting with a four-member delegation from Jamaat-e-Islami, led by party chief Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, at the state guesthouse Jamuna on Sunday evening. Yunus emphasized that regardless of victory or defeat, everyone must unite for the country’s interest and the success of the polls.

According to a press release from the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing, Yunus announced several measures to ensure transparency and fairness, including a hotline for complaints, installation of CCTV cameras at most polling centers, and body cameras for officials at high-risk locations. He assured that any urgent election-related issues would be promptly referred to the Election Commission. Jamaat leaders informed that their full-scale campaign would begin on January 22, alongside their ongoing “Yes” campaign for the referendum.

Yunus also clarified that government campaigning in favor of the “Yes” vote was legally permissible, stating that the interim government’s duty was to support reform efforts emerging from the people’s movement.

Advocate Saifur Rahman, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami nominated candidate for the Chattogram-1 (Mirsharai) parliamentary seat, has publicly sought financial assistance to cover his election expenses. He made the appeal through a Facebook live session and a written post, citing the Election Commission’s rule that allows a candidate to spend a maximum of 10 taka per voter. Based on the total number of voters in his constituency, he said his maximum permissible expenditure limit has been set accordingly.

Rahman stated that he does not intend to spend beyond the legal limit and emphasized the significant costs involved in voter outreach, campaigning, and public engagement. He mentioned that several well-wishers have already expressed interest in providing moral and financial support. Those wishing to contribute legally and transparently were invited to participate.

To ensure transparency, Rahman shared his Sonali Bank Mirsharai branch account number and personal bKash and Nagad mobile banking details, promising to update transactions regularly. His post, made four days earlier, drew attention from netizens after it began circulating online.

Police in Faridpur upazila of Pabna recovered the body of 13-year-old schoolgirl Suraiya Khatun from a pond in Bilnolua village on Sunday, January 18, 2026, five days after she went missing. Her hands, feet, and mouth were found tied when the body was discovered by local farmers. Suraiya, daughter of Swapan Khan of Jontihar village under BLbari Union, was an eighth-grade student at Jontihar Adarsha High School.

According to police and family sources, Suraiya went missing from in front of her home on January 13. After extensive searches failed, her grandfather Abdul Jabbar Khan filed a general diary with Faridpur Police Station on January 16. Two days later, locals found the body floating in the pond and informed the family, who identified it before police retrieved it and sent it for autopsy.

Faridpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Shamim Aknji confirmed the recovery and said the body was sent to Pabna Hospital morgue for post-mortem. He added that police are investigating the case seriously to identify and arrest those involved.

In Dhanbari upazila of Tangail, unidentified vandals cut down more than 400 banana bunches from a farmer’s orchard on the night of January 16, 2026. The attack, which took place in Jodunathpur’s Pathlachara area, caused losses exceeding four lakh taka for farmer Delwar Hossain, who had leased 30 decimals of land with a loan of 60,000 taka to cultivate bananas. He said the vandals partially cut some bunches and stole others, leaving him financially devastated.

Local farmers, including Liton Mia, Jahangir, Jahurul, and Tota Mia, condemned the act and urged authorities to identify and punish those responsible. NCP’s Tangail district organizing secretary Humayun Kabir described the incident as tragic and called for government assistance for the affected farmer, noting that such attacks harm both individuals and the national economy. Union Parishad member Shahjahan Ali also demanded swift legal action and state support for Delwar.

Dhanbari Upazila Agriculture Officer Masudur Rahman Masud confirmed the incident and said necessary measures would be taken to assist the affected farmer.