Jamaat-e-Islami’s Nayeb-e-Ameer and Rangpur-2 (Badarganj-Taraganj) parliamentary candidate ATM Azharul Islam said the local administration remains disorganized and ineffective in the election field. Speaking to journalists on Thursday afternoon after the nomination scrutiny at the Rangpur district returning officer’s office, he stated that the Election Commission has yet to demonstrate neutrality in its operations and must act more impartially to create a level playing field.

Azharul Islam expressed concern that if the administration continues to function in its current state, holding a fair election will be difficult. Responding to a question about election-related fears, he said apprehensions persist because a non-political activist, Sharif Osman Hadi, was killed due to election-related circumstances. He added that the Election Commission’s measures regarding candidate safety remain unclear and called for stricter security to prevent further incidents.

Local Jamaat leaders, including Badarganj Upazila Ameer Kamaruzzaman and Taraganj Upazila Ameer Alamgir Hossain, were present during the remarks.

In Kurigram, the returning officer has declared the nomination papers of two candidates invalid for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. The decision was announced on Thursday, December 1, after the first day of the nomination scrutiny process. The disqualified candidates are Jatiya Party’s former Member of Parliament Ponir Uddin Ahmed, accused of concealing case information in his affidavit, and Bangladesh National Party’s candidate Atikur Rahman, whose affidavit was found incomplete.

According to the returning officer’s office, all six candidates in Kurigram-1 constituency were declared valid, while in Kurigram-2, seven out of nine candidates, including those from BNP, Jamaat, Islami Andolon, and NCP, were approved. Ponir Uddin Ahmed’s nomination was canceled for not disclosing a recent case filed against him, and Atikur Rahman’s was rejected for missing information in his affidavit.

Both candidates are eligible to appeal the decision between January 5 and January 11. Ponir Uddin Ahmed stated he was unaware of the case filed in Dhaka’s Mirpur and intends to appeal the decision.

Police in Pakundia, Kishoreganj arrested Motayem Hossain Swapon, a 65-year-old leader of the banned Awami League, late Wednesday night. The arrest took place around 11:30 p.m. at his residence in Charpakundia under the municipal area. Swapon is a former joint convener of the Pakundia Upazila Awami League and the son of late freedom fighter Rafiqul Haque Chandu Mia of Charpakundia village.

Pakundia Police Station’s Second Officer, Sub-Inspector Binoy Sarkar, confirmed the arrest and stated that Swapon faces a political case. He was sent to court on Thursday morning following his detention. The report did not specify details of the case or the reasons behind the ban on the local Awami League activities.

The incident highlights ongoing law enforcement actions in the region involving political figures, though further information about the case proceedings or party response was not provided in the source.

Former state minister for home affairs and BNP leader Lutfozzaman Babar stated that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) never used the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) for party interests. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, January 1, after visiting the grave of Begum Khaleda Zia, he said the force was formed under her directive to ensure public safety, not for political purposes. Babar emphasized that no one could prove that RAB was politically used and that even BNP members were not spared if they committed wrongdoing.

He described Khaleda Zia as uncompromising on national security and sovereignty and said he found similar qualities in her son, acting BNP chairman Tarique Rahman. Babar added that he came to the graveyard out of personal emotion, not political intent, and had obtained permission from law enforcement authorities.

The remarks highlighted Babar’s continued loyalty to the BNP leadership and his call for prayers for a people’s government under Tarique Rahman’s leadership.

Police in Faridpur’s Saltha upazila arrested two local Awami League leaders during a special drive under Operation Devil Hunt Phase-2. The detainees are Md. Yunus Molya, 65, president of the Ballavdi Union Awami League, and Yusuf Matubbar, 70, president of the 2nd ward of Bhawal Union Awami League. Yunus Molya was arrested from Phulbari area on Wednesday night, while Yusuf Matubbar was detained from Saltha Bazar on Thursday morning. Both were sent to the Faridpur court on Thursday afternoon.

According to Saltha Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Bablur Rahman Khan, the arrests were made on allegations of involvement in activities aimed at creating unrest and sabotage in the area. The police official stated that the special operation would continue as part of the ongoing law enforcement efforts in the region.

The report did not mention any further details about the charges, court proceedings, or responses from the Awami League or other stakeholders.

On January 1, 2026, the nomination paper scrutiny for Narsingdi-2 (Palash) and Narsingdi-4 (Monohardi-Belabo) constituencies was conducted as part of the 13th National Parliamentary Election process. A total of 18 nomination papers were reviewed on the first day, and four candidates were disqualified for failing to meet the required conditions.

In Narsingdi-2, three candidates were excluded: Engineer Mohshin Ahmed of Islami Andolan Bangladesh for loan default, A N M Rafiqul Islam Selim of Jatiya Party for lacking proper party nomination papers, and Mohammad Ibrahim of Insaniyat Biplob Bangladesh for incomplete personal information. In Narsingdi-4, Kazi Shariful Islam of Bangladesh Congress Party was disqualified due to issues with proposer and supporter signatures.

Returning Officer and Narsingdi Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Anwar Hossain stated that scrutiny was carried out in two of the district’s five constituencies according to election procedures, and four nominations were canceled for not fulfilling submission requirements.

In Chattogram-11 (Bandar–Patenga) constituency, Jamaat candidate Mohammad Shafiul Alam’s election affidavit has drawn attention for unusual financial disclosures. The document lists his three children—two sons and a daughter—as earning nearly five lakh taka annually, despite all being students. The eldest studies BBA at a private university, the second is an HSC student, and the youngest is in seventh grade. Each is shown as engaged in separate professions, including teaching, legal consultancy, and salaried employment, with shares and business interests under their names.

The disclosures have sparked surprise among voters and prompted questions in political circles about how minors or full-time students could hold such jobs or business stakes. Some have questioned whether the candidate’s actual assets were partially declared under his children’s names. Shafiul Alam’s own affidavit lists an annual income slightly above fourteen lakh taka, cash holdings of 27.84 lakh, and total assets exceeding one crore seven lakh taka, further fueling discussion about the sources of his wealth.

Attempts to contact the candidate through the phone numbers listed in the affidavit were unsuccessful, as both numbers were found switched off.

Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) representatives met BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Thursday, January 1, at the party chairperson’s political office in Gulshan. The meeting focused on preserving the spirit of the July Revolution and other national issues. At the start, the delegation signed the condolence book for the late former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. After the meeting, DUCSU Vice President Sadiq Kayem said Tarique Rahman gave important advice to the student community, emphasizing unity among all anti-fascist forces.

According to Kayem, Rahman stated that political differences are part of democratic beauty but urged all to remain united for Bangladesh and the July Revolution. He advised all anti-fascist parties, including BNP and Jamaat, and student groups such as Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir, to work shoulder to shoulder. Kayem also called for rebuilding state institutions, ensuring fair elections, and implementing the “July Charter” through a referendum.

The meeting also discussed justice for slain activist Osman Hadi. Kayem alleged that the masterminds behind Hadi’s killing remain unarrested and demanded their trial. He reaffirmed that despite ideological differences, students would continue their united struggle to fulfill the July Revolution’s goals.

A time-fuse explosive device discovered under the Meghna-Gomti Bridge on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in Daudkandi, Cumilla, was successfully defused by the Anti-Terrorism Unit’s bomb disposal team. The operation took place on Thursday, January 1, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., ensuring the area’s safety throughout the process. Law enforcement confirmed that no casualties or damage occurred during the defusal.

According to police sources, the explosive was first found on December 8 by an army patrol team under the bridge, hidden in bushes. The suspicious object, wrapped in red scotch tape and roughly the size of a tennis ball, weighed an estimated 400 to 500 grams. It was later seized after authorities were notified. The Daudkandi Model Police Station’s officer-in-charge, M Abdul Halim, stated that legal procedures related to the incident are currently underway.

Security measures were heightened in the surrounding area during the disposal operation, and the authorities reported that the situation remained fully under control.

On January 1, 2026, three candidates were disqualified during the second day of nomination scrutiny for the 13th national election in Khulna-1 (Dacope-Batiaghata) constituency. The disqualifications were based on allegations of signature forgery and submission of nominations with proposers registered in different constituencies. The review began at 11 a.m. and concluded with 10 candidates declared valid out of 13 who had submitted nomination papers.

According to District Commissioner and Returning Officer A.S.M. Jamshed Khondaker, the verification process is ongoing and will continue for other constituencies in the coming days. The disqualified candidates include Gano Adhikar Parishad’s G.M. Rokonuzzaman, whose proposer was a voter from another area, and two independent candidates, Gobinda Halder and Achintya Kumar Mondal, both accused of signature forgery.

The 10 valid candidates represent various political parties, including Islami Andolon, BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, JSD, Bangladesh Minority National Party, Bangladesh Samadhikar Parishad, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Jatiya Party, and Islami Front.

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) will announce new prices for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and autogas this Sunday. The announcement, scheduled for 3 p.m., will be based on the Saudi Aramco-declared Saudi CP for January 2026, according to a BERC notice issued on Thursday.

The last price adjustment took place on December 2, when the price of a 12-kilogram LPG cylinder was raised by 38 taka to 1,253 taka. The upcoming announcement will determine the consumer-level prices for private LPG distributors in line with international price movements.

The BERC’s monthly price adjustment reflects global market trends and aims to maintain consistency between domestic and international LPG pricing structures.

Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader has reported an increase in his cash holdings compared to two years ago, while his wife Sherifa Quader’s cash amount has decreased, according to the affidavit submitted for the 13th National Parliamentary Election. The affidavit shows Quader now holds Tk 6,032,405 in cash, up from Tk 4,988,253 during the 12th election, whereas his wife’s cash has fallen to Tk 4,890,938 from Tk 5,959,563. Both own houses in Lalmonirhat and Dhaka valued at over Tk 20 million combined, though neither owns agricultural land.

The affidavit lists Quader’s profession as politician and his wife’s as singer and businessperson. Quader uses a car worth Tk 8,498,475, while his wife drives one valued at Tk 8 million. His movable assets are valued at Tk 19.5 million and his wife’s at Tk 17.2 million. Quader has Tk 4 million in savings certificates or fixed deposits, and his wife has Tk 1,183,368. Their reported incomes include allowances, savings returns, and business earnings.

The affidavit also notes no income from agriculture, rent, or business for Quader, aside from allowances and investment returns.

Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain wrote in a condolence book on Thursday, January 1, expressing deep sorrow over the death of former three-time Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. The condolence book was opened at the BNP Chairperson’s office in Gulshan, Dhaka, for the public to pay tribute. He described Khaleda Zia as a leader who transcended party and ideology, noting that the massive attendance at her funeral prayer demonstrated her acceptance as a national leader.

In his message, Dr. Hossain referred to Khaleda Zia as an uncompromising leader and recalled his long association with her. He also shared memories of her political journey, stating that she began organizing the student wing during the 1980s democratic movement and earned the title of “uncompromising leader” at Chattogram’s Laldighi Maidan. He contrasted her political stance with that of Sheikh Hasina during the Ershad regime, emphasizing Khaleda Zia’s steadfastness.

The mayor prayed for Khaleda Zia’s eternal peace and highlighted her leadership as a unifying force for the people of Bangladesh.

In Dinajpur’s Khansama upazila, a total of 30 unnatural deaths were recorded in 2025, according to police data covering January 1 to December 31. The causes included electrocution (2), hanging (9), drowning (11), poisoning (4), fire (1), wall collapse (1), machinery accident (1), and one unidentified case. Most hanging deaths involved married women, while most drowning victims were children.

Local residents and officials attributed the incidents to family conflict, emotional distress, and lack of awareness. Observers said easy access to pesticides contributed to poisoning cases among adolescents. Health officer Dr. Shafiqul Islam emphasized the need for psychological support and social solutions to family violence. Upazila Executive Officer Md. Kamruzzaman Sarkar noted a decline in such deaths compared to the previous year but stressed that even one death is unacceptable. Police Officer-in-Charge Abdul Baset Sardar said awareness efforts are ongoing to prevent further incidents.

Authorities and community members agreed that improved family communication, mental health care, and moral education could help reduce such tragedies in the future.

Bangladesh received a record remittance inflow of approximately 33 billion US dollars in 2025, according to data released by Bangladesh Bank on Thursday. The total marks a 23.34 percent increase compared to 2024, when expatriate income stood at 26.60 billion dollars. In December 2025 alone, remittances reached 3.22 billion dollars, the second-highest monthly figure in the country’s history, following the record 3.29 billion dollars in March of the same year.

The report attributes the surge mainly to a decline in money laundering, prompting more expatriates to send their earnings through formal banking channels. December’s remittance growth was 22.30 percent higher than the same month in 2024, when inflows totaled 2.63 billion dollars.

The record inflow underscores the growing reliance on remittances as a key source of foreign currency for Bangladesh, reflecting improved compliance and confidence in official transfer systems.