A Dhaka court has scheduled January 5 for the charge framing hearing in a sedition case against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 285 others. The case stems from an alleged online meeting held on December 19 last year, where participants reportedly formed a group called 'Joy Bangla Brigade' and discussed plans to reinstate Hasina through a civil conflict. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) filed the case on March 27, 2025, following approval from the Home Ministry. CID Assistant Superintendent Enamul Haque later submitted a charge sheet on August 14, accusing 286 individuals of conspiring to overthrow the government. The court accepted the charge sheet and issued arrest warrants against all accused. The defense requested more time for the hearing, which the court granted, setting the new date for January 5. Among the accused are several former MPs, Awami League leaders, and student organization members.

Families of officers killed in the 2009 Pilkhana BDR massacre have alleged that the killings were orchestrated to serve Indian interests and extend the tenure of the then Awami League government. Speaking at a press conference in Dhaka’s RAOWA Club, relatives of slain officers claimed the attack was intended to intimidate army officials perceived as anti-India. They demanded the immediate release of the full investigation report and legal action against those named. Separately, an interim government-formed National Independent Investigation Commission alleged that the massacre aimed to weaken the army and maintain political power, implicating former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, several Awami League leaders, and some retired military officials. The commission submitted its report to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus before publicly naming those allegedly involved. The 2009 mutiny at the BDR headquarters left 57 army officers dead, occurring just two months after the Awami League assumed power.

Bangladesh Bank has approved the final license for the newly formed 'Combined Islamic Bank', created through the merger of five struggling Islamic banks — First Security Islami Bank, Global Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank, EXIM Bank, and Union Bank. Former senior secretary Dr. Mohammad Ayub Mia has been appointed as the chairman of the new state-owned institution, which is set to begin full operations in early December. The merger was initiated after repeated liquidity support failed to stabilize the financial conditions of the individual banks, whose share prices and net asset values had sharply declined. The new bank will have a paid-up capital of Tk 35,000 crore, with Tk 20,000 crore contributed by the government and Tk 15,000 crore from depositors’ shares. The authorized capital has been set at Tk 40,000 crore. The initiative aims to restore stability and confidence in the country’s Islamic banking sector.

A fire broke out in a three-story residential building in the Rahmatganj Dalpatti area of Chawkbazar, Dhaka, on Monday afternoon. The Fire Service received the alert at 4:42 p.m. and dispatched seven units to the scene to contain the blaze. According to Fire Service media officer Anwarul Islam, the fire originated on the third floor of the building. Initially, four units responded, and three additional units joined later to bring the situation under control. The cause of the fire and the extent of damage are yet to be determined. Earlier the same day, another fire occurred in a six-story residential building in Mohammadpur’s Jahuri Mohalla area, which was brought under control by two fire units within about 45 minutes. No casualties have been reported so far in either incident.

Bipin Jyoti Chakma, the chief coordinator of the National Citizen Party (NCP) in Rangamati district, has announced his resignation from all party activities, citing personal and family reasons. He confirmed the decision over the phone on Monday and stated that he would soon send his signed resignation letter to the party’s central committee. Earlier, on November 14, district joint coordinator Ujjal Chakma had also resigned for similar reasons. Additionally, Sarvajit Chakma, a district leader of the party’s student wing, Chhatra Shakti, announced his resignation on Facebook on Sunday night. Although Bipin Jyoti denied any internal conflict, district joint coordinator Zahidul Islam Zahid suggested that recent disagreements within the district committee might have influenced the decision. The matter has been reported to the NCP central leadership for further consideration.

The Ministry of Education in Bangladesh has directed all government lower secondary, secondary, and school-college level institutions to submit attendance reports of teachers and officials involved in ongoing annual and selection examinations. According to an office order issued on Monday by the Secondary and Higher Education Division, signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Sifat Uddin, the attendance data must be sent to the division by 12 p.m. the same day. The directive emphasizes the importance of ensuring that annual, selection, and scholarship examinations are conducted on schedule. The ministry has labeled the request for attendance information as urgent, reflecting its intent to monitor examination management and ensure accountability among teachers and officials during the examination period.

A devastating fire broke out on Monday morning in three tin-shed colonies in the Palli Bidyut Dighirpar area of Kaliakair upazila, Gazipur, destroying around 75 houses. According to local residents and fire service officials, the blaze started around 8:30 a.m. in a room belonging to Shahnaz Begum at Mohiuddin’s colony, reportedly due to an electrical short circuit. The flames quickly spread to two nearby colonies owned by Bayezid Master. Despite efforts by locals to control the fire, it continued to spread until three units from the Kaliakair Fire Service arrived and brought it under control within an hour. Fortunately, no casualties were reported as most residents were away at work in nearby factories. Authorities are still assessing the extent of property damage, while initial investigations suggest the fire originated from an electrical malfunction.

Thirteen fishermen from Lalmohan in Bhola, Bangladesh, who had been missing for 20 days after going to sea for fishing, have been located in India. The fishermen, who set out on November 11 aboard the fishing trawler 'Ma-Babar Doa', reportedly lost their way in the deep sea and accidentally entered Indian waters. They were detained by Indian naval police and handed over to a local police station in West Bengal, though the exact location remains unknown. One of the fishermen, who is speech-impaired, managed to contact his family via video call, confirming their safety. Local police in Lalmohan have informed higher authorities, and Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now working to bring them back home. The families, who had earlier protested the authorities’ inaction, expressed relief upon hearing the news of their survival and are hopeful for their early return.

Bangladesh’s stock market experienced a significant downturn on Monday, December 1, marking the second trading day of the week. The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) saw widespread losses across almost all sectors, with the benchmark DSEX index dropping 64 points to close at 4,914. The DSE Shariah Index fell 16 points to 1,028, while the DSE-30 index declined 21 points to 1,895. Out of the traded companies, only 38 gained, 322 declined, and 28 remained unchanged. Trading volume also decreased notably, with total transactions amounting to Tk 415.9 crore, down from Tk 492.54 crore in the previous session. Simtex Industries led in turnover with Tk 22.42 crore, followed by Khan Brothers PP Woven Bag and Dominage Steel Building. The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) mirrored the decline, with 131 companies losing value and total transactions amounting to Tk 3.29 crore. Market analysts attributed the fall to ongoing investor uncertainty and weak buying sentiment.

Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has expressed dissatisfaction over the court verdict in the Purbachal plot allocation case involving former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, and niece Tulip Siddiq. The ACC’s prosecutors stated that the judgment did not meet their expectations, as they had sought life imprisonment for the accused based on the evidence presented. On Monday, Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-4 sentenced Sheikh Hasina to five years, Sheikh Rehana to seven years, and Tulip Siddiq to two years in prison, along with fines of 100,000 taka each. Fourteen other accused were each sentenced to five years in prison and fined the same amount. The case, filed in January by ACC Deputy Director Salahuddin, alleged abuse of power and irregularities in the allocation of a 10-katha government plot in the Purbachal New Town Project. Following the verdict, the ACC stated it would consult with the commission to decide on further legal action.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir stated that party chairperson Khaleda Zia’s health condition remains stable under close medical supervision. Speaking to reporters on Monday afternoon, he dismissed recent media reports suggesting otherwise, urging the public not to be misled. Fakhrul called on citizens and party supporters to pray for Khaleda Zia’s swift recovery. The BNP also issued a press release requesting media outlets to rely solely on statements from Khaleda Zia’s personal physician and party standing committee member A.Z.M. Zahid Hossain for health updates. Earlier, senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi confirmed that Khaleda Zia continues to receive treatment at Evercare Hospital as before, while BNP’s media cell member Shairul Kabir Khan assured that verified health updates will be shared with the press in due time.

Lalmonirhat district in northern Bangladesh recorded the country’s lowest temperature of 13.5 degrees Celsius on Monday morning, December 1, according to the Kurigram Rajarhat Agricultural Meteorological Observatory. The acting officer, Shubel Chandra Sarkar, stated that the temperature could drop further in the coming days, with dense fog likely to persist. Locals reported heavy fog across Lalmonirhat Sadar and five surrounding upazilas, with visibility so low that fog appeared to fall like drizzle between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. Due to poor visibility, vehicles on the Lalmonirhat-Burimari highway and regional roads were forced to move slowly with headlights on even during the day. Meteorologists warned that the cold wave could strengthen if the current weather pattern continues.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved 17 development projects worth Tk 15,383.51 crore, including the third revision of the Dhaka Metro Rail Line-6 project. The approval came during a meeting chaired by Chief Adviser and ECNEC Chairperson Dr. Muhammad Yunus at the NEC Conference Room in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka. Of the total cost, Tk 9,451.84 crore will come from government funds, Tk 5,609.70 crore from foreign loans, and Tk 379.31 crore from the implementing agencies’ own funds. The approved projects include sustainable agricultural development in Chattogram, quality potato seed production and distribution, drilling of three gas exploration wells, construction of 1,560 flats for July martyrs’ families in Mirpur, and a 220 MW solar power project in Sonagazi. Other projects cover urban resilience in Narayanganj, autism and NDD services, digital entrepreneurship, and health sector improvements. Two proposed projects were sent for further review.

An independent national investigation commission formed by Bangladesh’s interim government has alleged political involvement by members of the Awami League and possible Indian influence in the 2009 Pilkhana massacre at the then BDR headquarters in Dhaka. The commission’s report, submitted to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, claims that former MP Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh coordinated the incident with a 'green signal' from then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Witness testimonies revealed that Taposh allegedly instructed a youth to organize a rally that entered the BDR compound, and that members of the ruling party’s youth wing participated. Several witnesses also criticized the government’s handling of the mutiny, citing failures such as not deploying tanks, not convening the National Security Council, and declaring a general amnesty that emboldened the mutineers. The commission’s findings challenge previous official narratives and suggest political and external factors behind the tragic event.

Police in Lakshmipur’s Chandraganj area have uncovered an illegal arms manufacturing operation hidden behind a local engineering workshop named Nuha Auto Traders and Lathe Engineering. Acting on a tip-off, the district Detective Branch (DB) conducted a raid on Monday afternoon, discovering locally made firearms and weapon-making equipment. Although no arrests were made during the operation, police identified the workshop’s owner as Nur Uddin, also known as Jiku, from Begumganj in Noakhali. DB Officer-in-Charge Shahadat Hossain Titu stated that the workshop had been under surveillance for some time based on intelligence reports. The recovered weapons and materials have been handed over to the local police station as part of legal procedures. Authorities are currently investigating how the illegal factory operated and who else might be involved, while efforts to apprehend the owner are ongoing.