Police in Lakshmipur have arrested Md. Rubel, 41, the elder brother of Abdul Aziz Hakim, general secretary of the Sadar Upazila Chhatra League, for setting fire to the district election office under a 10,000 taka contract. The arrest was announced by Superintendent of Police Md. Abu Tarek during a press briefing on Friday, December 26, 2025. Rubel, a resident of Ward 10 in Lakshmipur Municipality, allegedly carried out the arson on instructions from Shimul Chakraborty, the late MP Shahajahan Kamal’s APS.

According to police, Rubel received 2,000 taka before the incident and was paid the remaining 8,000 taka afterward. When presented before court, Rubel confessed to setting the fire and was subsequently sent to jail. The arson occurred on the night of December 12, when a masked man was seen on CCTV footage igniting the election office. Investigators later identified Rubel and arrested him from his home through a special operation by the detective branch.

Authorities have not yet disclosed further details about the motive or whether additional suspects are being investigated.

A severe cold wave has gripped Bhurungamari in Kurigram, where residents have endured four consecutive sunless days. The temperature dropped to 11.4°C on Friday morning, December 26, according to the Rajarhat Agricultural Meteorological Office. Dense fog has blanketed the area from evening until noon, forcing vehicles to use headlights during the day. The biting cold has particularly affected children, the elderly, and low-income workers, many of whom are struggling to continue their daily activities.

Local residents have been lighting fires to stay warm, while demand for second-hand clothing has surged. Auto-rickshaw drivers reported reduced income due to poor visibility and fewer passengers. Relief efforts are underway, but supplies remain insufficient. The Upazila Project Implementation Officer said Tk 600,000 was allocated by the Ministry of Disaster Management, with 1,300 blankets distributed across ten unions and 600 more received from the district.

Officials warned that temperatures could fall further until December 31, with the cold wave expected to persist, heightening hardship for vulnerable communities in the region.

The Urban Development Journalists Forum Bangladesh (UDJFB) has formed a new executive committee for the 2026–27 term. Matin Abdullah, special correspondent of the daily Jugantor, was elected president, and Hasan Imon, staff reporter of Bangladesh Pratidin, was elected general secretary. The election took place on Friday at a restaurant in Banglamotor, Dhaka, during the forum’s biennial general meeting. Chief Election Commissioner Amitosh Pal announced the results, assisted by commissioners Khalid Saifullah of Naya Diganta and Mizanur Rahman of The Daily Observer.

Other elected members include Faisal Khan as vice president, Yasin Rana as joint general secretary, Rashedul Hasan as finance secretary, Zahidul Islam as organizational secretary, Md. Billal Hossain (Sagar) as publicity and publication secretary, Latiful Islam as office secretary, Rahat Hossain as training and research secretary, and Delaowar Hossain Dolon as hospitality and welfare secretary. Executive members are Mahmuda Dolly, Moinul Islam (Rajib), Niaz Morshed, and Abdul Kaiyum.

The meeting was presided over by newly elected president Matin Abdullah and conducted by Faisal Khan, with all forum members and leaders in attendance.

Inqilab Mancha, founded by the late Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, has called on the people of Bangladesh to gather at Shahbagh in Dhaka to demand justice for Hadi’s killing. The call was made through the group’s official Facebook page following a protest march organized by its Dhaka University branch after Friday prayers. The procession started from the university’s central mosque and ended with a sit-in at Shahbagh.

According to Inqilab Mancha, the movement will continue until a swift and exemplary trial is ensured for the murder of Sharif Osman Hadi. Hadi, who was the spokesperson of the organization and a potential independent candidate for Dhaka-8 constituency, was shot in the head on December 12 in Purana Paltan, a day after the announcement of the 13th national election and referendum schedule. He was later flown to Singapore for advanced treatment but died on December 18.

Investigators reportedly identified a banned Chhatra League leader as the shooter, who is believed to have fled to India, though this remains under discussion.

Nurul Islam Saddam has been elected as the new president of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, while Sibgatullah Sibga has been appointed as the organization’s secretary general. The election took place on Friday at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center in Agargaon, Dhaka, where members of the organization voted to select the central leadership for the 2026 term.

According to the organization’s constitution, the newly elected president nominates the secretary general following the election. Sibgatullah previously served as the president of the Dhaka University branch of Islami Chhatra Shibir. The announcement marks the beginning of the organization’s new central leadership for the upcoming term.

The leadership transition follows the group’s internal electoral process, which determines its central committee for each term based on member votes and constitutional procedures.

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has removed a total of 148 tons of waste from the 300 Feet area in the capital, where a reception was held for BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s homecoming. The cleanup operation began on Friday morning following instructions from DNCC Administrator Mohammad Ejaz, who had directed officials the previous night to ensure swift waste removal.

A special cleaning drive was conducted with the participation of 350 DNCC sanitation workers. Using 20 trucks, the collected waste was transported in 148 trips to the Aminbazar landfill for safe disposal. By noon, the entire venue was cleared and made accessible for public movement. Some local BNP leaders and activists voluntarily joined DNCC workers in the cleanup effort from 10 a.m.

Administrator Mohammad Ejaz thanked all participants, emphasizing that collective involvement of citizens and political activists after large gatherings can make the city cleaner and more livable, while easing the delivery of civic services.

BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman visited the grave of his father and party founder Ziaur Rahman at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Friday afternoon, a day after returning to Bangladesh from a 17-year exile. He arrived at the site around 4:40 p.m., offered prayers, and stood silently for some time in an emotional moment. Senior BNP leaders, including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and members of the party’s standing committee, accompanied him.

Earlier on Thursday, Tarique Rahman returned to the country after years abroad. Upon arrival, he attended a reception organized by the party at Purbachal’s 300 Feet area, visited his ailing mother at Evercare Hospital, and then went to his residence. From noon on Friday, thousands of BNP leaders and activists gathered around Chandrima Udyan and the mausoleum area with banners and festoons to witness his visit. A large number of police, BGB, Ansar, and plainclothes security personnel were deployed to maintain order and ensure his safety.

Following the grave visit, Tarique Rahman was scheduled to pay tribute to the martyrs of the Liberation War at the National Memorial in Savar.

The Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) has accused the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of failing in political compromise and responsibility, leading to a complex and uncertain democratic transition in Bangladesh. The allegation was made on Friday, December 26, at a press conference organized by JSD at the Jatiya Press Club’s Zahur Hossain Chowdhury Hall, where the party’s general secretary, Shahid Uddin Mahmud Swapan, presented a written statement.

In his remarks, Swapan said that BNP had not shown the expected respect and commitment to the politics of compromise and declared political responsibility in the current political context. He urged all to avoid provocation and rumors, stand for humanity, and choose unity over division. He emphasized that building a broader national unity is the only effective and sustainable way to overcome the ongoing crisis.

JSD senior vice-president Tania Rob, presiding over the event, reiterated the party’s stance against injustice and its commitment to lead the state based on the spirit of the Liberation War. She said that despite divisions and doubts, the youth would eventually find their direction, and JSD would stand beside them.

A total of 170 doctors have completed their graduation in war-torn Gaza, holding a ceremony on Thursday in front of the destroyed Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Once the largest hospital in the Palestinian territory, Al-Shifa suffered extensive damage during Israeli attacks that left most of its buildings and equipment destroyed or unusable.

The graduates continued their studies and hospital work during two years of famine, displacement, and mass violence. Some were injured or arrested during this period. Gaza’s Health Ministry official Yusuf Abu al-Reish described the event as earning degrees “through bombardment, rubble, and rivers of blood.” One graduate, Dr. Ahmed Basil, said achieving an advanced degree amid destruction sent a message that Palestinians cherish life and remain committed to scientific progress.

Empty chairs displaying photos of healthcare workers killed during the war were placed at the ceremony, symbolizing the loss suffered by Gaza’s medical community.

Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), visited the grave of his father and party founder, Ziaur Rahman, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Friday, December 26, 2025. The visit took place a day after his return to Bangladesh following 17 years of exile. He arrived at the site at around 4:40 p.m. and offered prayers in an emotional atmosphere.

On Thursday, Rahman returned to the country and attended a reception organized by the party at the 300 Feet area in Purbachal, Dhaka. Later, he visited his ailing mother at Evercare Hospital before returning to his residence. From noon on Friday, thousands of BNP leaders and activists gathered at Chandrima Udyan and the mausoleum area, carrying banners and festoons to welcome him. To maintain order and ensure security, large contingents of police, Border Guard Bangladesh, Ansar, and plainclothes law enforcement officers were deployed.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members, and senior central leaders accompanied Rahman during the visit. He was also scheduled to pay tribute to the martyrs of the Liberation War at the National Memorial in Savar afterward.

Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Najib Razak has been found guilty of abusing his power in connection with the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund. On Friday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court convicted him on four counts related to the illegal transfer of about 539 million dollars from the 1MDB project. Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah stated that the prosecution had proven the case beyond reasonable doubt.

Prosecutors accused Najib of misusing his positions as prime minister, finance minister, and chairman of the 1MDB advisory board to divert large sums into his personal accounts. The 1MDB scandal, first exposed in 2015, revealed Malaysia’s involvement in global fraud and corruption. Najib had previously been sentenced in 2020 to 12 years in prison for misappropriating 9.9 million dollars from the same fund, later reduced to six years.

Najib, who served as prime minister from 2009 to 2018, still faces 21 additional charges of money laundering, each carrying potential prison terms of 15 to 20 years. He has claimed that fugitive financier Jho Low misled him, though Low remains wanted by Interpol since 2016.

Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Machud stated that there is no legal obstacle preventing BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman from becoming a registered voter in Bangladesh. He explained that the Election Commission (EC) has the authority to register any eligible person as a voter at any time. Machud made these remarks on Friday while speaking to a national media outlet.

Tarique Rahman returned to the country on Thursday after 17 years abroad. Earlier, on December 22, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner A. M. M. Nasir Uddin that Tarique Rahman would register as a voter on Saturday, December 27. However, Commissioner Machud could not confirm whether Rahman would appear at the Election Commission office on that date.

The EC’s clarification comes amid renewed political attention following Rahman’s return, with his potential voter registration seen as a significant step in his re-engagement with national politics.

The second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement is expected to begin in early January, according to Israeli media citing a senior Israeli official. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly informed Israel and mediators that the next stage of the Gaza deal would start at the beginning of the new year. Israeli officials have expressed concern that U.S. President Donald Trump may proceed with the next phase without ensuring the disarmament of Hamas.

The ceasefire was originally agreed on October 9 under Trump’s peace plan, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. However, Gaza’s Health Ministry stated that Israeli violations of the agreement and delays in implementing the second phase have resulted in the deaths of more than 400 Palestinians. Since October 2023, Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed over 71,000 people, most of them women and children, and injured more than 171,000 others.

The report, citing TRT World, suggests that the coming phase will test the durability of the ceasefire and the effectiveness of international mediation efforts.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said the party prioritizes creating employment opportunities for youth instead of providing unemployment allowances. Speaking on Friday, December 26, 2025, at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center in Dhaka during the central members’ conference of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, he stated that every young person should be given work to become skilled and self-reliant. He emphasized that Islami Chhatra Shibir has now assumed a guardian role for the nation’s student community in the post-2024 context.

Dr. Rahman highlighted the need for educational institutions to focus on moral education, character building, and modern research. He said the dark era of campus violence and insecurity is fading but not yet over. He urged Shibir members to ensure campuses remain free from weapons, drugs, and disorder, and to create a safe environment for female students.

He further called for building a corruption-free, just, and humane Bangladesh based on Quranic and prophetic principles, stressing that national unity should be founded on justice and integrity.

Nurul Islam Saddam has been elected as the new central president of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir for the year 2026. The election took place on Friday through direct voting by the organization’s members. The announcement was made during the Central Members’ Conference 2025, which began in the morning at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center in Dhaka.

More than six thousand members from across the country participated in the conference, marking a major organizational gathering for the student body. The event served as the platform for selecting the leadership for the upcoming term, confirming Saddam’s election as central president for 2026.

The conference highlighted the organization’s internal democratic process, with broad member participation in leadership selection for the next operational year.