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.

Health and Family Welfare Adviser Nurjahan Begum has called on citizens to vote 'Yes' in the upcoming national referendum, describing it as a step toward realizing the nation’s collective dreams. She made the remarks on Sunday afternoon after inspecting the 'Yes Vote Campaign Vehicle' at the Natore District Collectorate premises.

Begum said Bangladesh achieved independence in 1971 but social inequality, once driven by western groups, still persists and has even grown. Referring to the mass movement of 2024, she recalled that around 14,000 young people were injured, 32 lost limbs, and 22 lost their eyesight. She questioned whether such sacrifices had brought the expected fair and equal society envisioned after independence.

She emphasized that government officials must remain neutral and ensure a festive, transparent voting environment. Begum warned that any attempts at misconduct would be captured by CCTV cameras. Following the inspection, she held a meeting with district-level officials about the upcoming Referendum-26, attended by senior health and administrative officers.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated that Europe cannot be blackmailed following U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on eight European countries opposing his stance on the Greenland issue. The warning came after Trump suggested punitive tariffs could target nations resisting his position on Greenland.

Leaders from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom met on Sunday to discuss the matter. In a joint statement, they said the tariff threat undermined transatlantic relations and could lead to serious consequences. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to defending sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The statement also noted that NATO member countries were prepared to hold discussions on the issue. Protests have already taken place in Greenland and several European countries in response to Trump’s threats.

A bus carrying students of Gonoshasthaya Medical College met with an accident in Brindaban area of Telihati Union, Sreepur upazila of Gazipur on January 18, 2026. The assistant driver lost one of his hands in the crash, and at least ten students were injured. The injured were rescued and taken to local hospitals, with several later transferred for advanced treatment. The bus was transporting 103 students from the college’s 27th MBBS batch to a training program in Sreepur when it lost control and overturned.

Following the accident, students expressed anger, alleging that each had paid 20,000 taka for transportation and accommodation but were provided with an old, poorly maintained bus. Some students claimed the driver was under the influence of drugs and drove recklessly, questioning why teachers on board had not checked the driver’s condition or the vehicle’s safety beforehand. Local residents, police, and administration joined the rescue and vehicle removal efforts.

The Gonoshasthaya Medical College authorities have not issued an official statement. Students demanded a proper investigation and accountability for the driver and responsible officials.

Kamaruzzaman Hira, a member and former joint convener of Titas Upazila BNP in Cumilla-2 (Homna-Titas) constituency, warned that independent and Jamaat activists would not be allowed near polling centers. His remarks came during a doa and milad mahfil held on Saturday afternoon at Char Kumaria Bazar in Satani Union, organized by the local BNP and affiliated organizations to pray for the late Khaleda Zia. A video of his speech, lasting about three minutes and seventeen seconds, later spread on social media.

In the video, Hira described the Char Kumaria center as a BNP stronghold since 1991 and expressed confidence in winning from the area on January 12. He also voiced support for a proposal by Samsul Haque regarding four polling centers and praised BNP candidate Principal Selim Bhuiyan, predicting his success. Bhuiyan, the BNP-nominated candidate for Cumilla-2 and a central executive committee member, later told journalists that Hira’s comments were entirely personal and not endorsed by the party.

Local voters in Titas urged the administration and law enforcement agencies to ensure a free, fair, and impartial election.

A Tangail court has sentenced Rezaur Rahman Dulu to life imprisonment and fined him 10,000 taka for murdering his mother-in-law in Madhupur nearly 20 years ago. The verdict was delivered on Sunday, January 18, 2026, by Judge Dilara Alo Chandana of the Tangail Special Judge (District and Sessions Judge) Court.

According to the prosecution, on September 27, 2006, Dulu went to his wife Nurunnahar’s home intending to kill her following a family dispute. When his mother-in-law tried to intervene, he attacked her with a local weapon, killing her on the spot. Nurunnahar was injured and later admitted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, while her mother was declared dead at Kaliyakur Hospital in Madhupur.

After nearly two decades of judicial proceedings, the court’s verdict brought satisfaction to the plaintiff’s side, marking the conclusion of a long-running murder case in Tangail.

The Election Commission (EC) has issued separate show-cause notices to Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP), and Nasiruddin Patwari, the NCP candidate for Dhaka-8 constituency, for alleged violations of the electoral code of conduct ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election. The notices, signed by Returning Officer and Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Sharaf Uddin Ahmad Chowdhury on Sunday, January 18, 2026, cited the display of large color billboards in Dhaka-11 and Dhaka-8 constituencies featuring campaign slogans and candidate images.

According to the EC, the actions contravened Rule 18 of the Political Party and Candidate Conduct Rules 2025, which prohibits any form of election campaigning more than three weeks before the polling date. The candidates were instructed to remove all billboards by 9:30 a.m. on January 19 and to submit written explanations by 11:00 a.m. the same day at the Returning Officer’s office.

The 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum are scheduled to be held on February 12, 2026, under the supervision of the Election Commission.