The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) governing council has confirmed that no matches of this year’s tournament will be held in Chattogram. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has revised the schedule, moving the Chattogram phase to Sylhet. The announcement was made by BPL governing council member secretary Ifthekhar Rahman Mithu at a press conference at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

Originally, the Chattogram phase was scheduled to begin on January 5 after the Sylhet leg ended on January 2. However, considering production logistics and the national team’s preparation needs, all matches planned for Chattogram have been shifted to Sylhet. The Sylhet phase will now run until January 12, followed by the Dhaka phase. The BPL must conclude by January 23 as the Bangladesh national team departs for the T20 World Cup on January 25.

The decision also follows a two-day suspension of matches after the death of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, which disrupted the original schedule. The BCB took this step to recover from the scheduling setback and ensure timely completion of the tournament.

The President of Bangladesh has issued the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, introducing a maximum fine of Tk 5,000 for selling cigarettes or tobacco products near educational institutions, hospitals, clinics, sports venues, and children's parks. The ordinance was promulgated on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, through the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Ministry of Law.

According to the ordinance, no person may sell or allow the sale of tobacco or tobacco products within 100 meters of the boundaries of these designated areas. The government or local authorities may extend this restricted perimeter through general or special orders as needed. The ordinance amends the original Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act of 2005.

Violators of the new rule will face a fine of up to Tk 5,000, and repeated offenses will result in double penalties. The measure aims to strengthen tobacco control around sensitive public spaces.

BNP Chairperson’s adviser and Chattogram-4 constituency candidate Lion Aslam Chowdhury has declared total assets worth about Tk 456.95 crore, combining movable and immovable properties. According to his nomination affidavit, his total liabilities stand at Tk 1,700 crore, the highest among candidates in Chattogram. Of this, Tk 354.41 crore is owed to five banks and other institutions, Tk 1,059 crore as guarantor, and Tk 285 crore as director of various companies. His liabilities are 24.25 times higher than his assets, though he stated that most of the debts arose from his roles as guarantor and director.

The affidavit also shows that Aslam Chowdhury holds Tk 11 crore in cash and faces 132 legal cases, including political and financial ones. His main source of income is business, generating Tk 48.37 lakh annually. His wife Jamila Nazneen Maula and daughter Meherin Anhar Uzma also reported significant assets and incomes. The document details his shares, bonds, firearms, and other possessions, with immovable assets valued at Tk 43.78 crore and movable assets at Tk 26.16 crore.

The disclosures highlight the financial scale and legal challenges surrounding the BNP candidate ahead of the upcoming election.

Israel has decided to revoke the licenses of 37 organizations providing humanitarian assistance in Palestine, citing their failure to meet new registration requirements. According to Israeli authorities, the groups did not submit complete personal data of their staff as required under the updated regulations. The suspension, affecting well-known international NGOs such as ActionAid, the International Rescue Committee, and the Norwegian Refugee Council, will take effect on January 1, with operations to cease within 60 days.

The move has drawn sharp criticism from ten countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Canada, and Japan, which described the new rules as excessively strict and unacceptable. In a joint statement, their foreign ministers warned that forced closures of international NGOs would severely disrupt access to essential services such as healthcare in Gaza, where humanitarian conditions remain catastrophic. They urged Israel to allow NGOs to continue sustainable operations.

The UN-supported Humanitarian Country Team previously warned that Israel’s new registration policy poses fundamental risks to NGO activities in Gaza and the West Bank, calling the system arbitrary and politically driven, with conditions that could undermine humanitarian principles.

India has overtaken Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy, according to the country’s annual economic review released on December 31, 2025. The review stated that India’s gross domestic product has reached approximately 4.18 trillion dollars and is projected to grow to 7.3 trillion dollars by 2030. Based on current trends, India could surpass Germany within the next three years to become the world’s third-largest economy, trailing only the United States and China.

The report highlighted that India’s real GDP grew by 8.2 percent in the second quarter of the 2025–26 fiscal year, up from 7.8 percent in the previous quarter. It also noted that merchandise exports rose to 38.13 billion dollars in November, compared to 36.43 billion dollars in January. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had earlier projected that India would overtake Japan next year, a milestone now confirmed by the review.

The findings underscore India’s accelerating economic expansion and its strengthening position among the world’s major economies.

In Gabtali of Bogura, members of the Gabtali Business Unity Council closed their shops for three hours on Wednesday, December 31, to pray for the soul of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. Following the closure, they gathered at the Pilot High School field to participate in a special absentee funeral prayer (gayebana janaza) held in her honor.

The event was attended by the council’s president Fazlul Bari Khokon, vice presidents Badsha Mia and Abdul Khalek Munnu, general secretary Arifur Rahman Zakir, joint general secretary Nurullah Akand, cashier Shahinur Alom, and publicity secretary Zahidul Islam. Local residents also joined the traders in expressing solidarity and took part in the prayer gathering.

The collective participation reflected local respect for Khaleda Zia’s political legacy and leadership, as traders and residents united in remembrance of the former prime minister.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has confirmed that he met an Indian diplomat earlier this year, adding that the diplomat had asked him to keep the meeting confidential. The disclosure was reported by Reuters on December 31, 2025. The report stated that India has been expanding its outreach to political parties in Bangladesh that could form the next government after the upcoming national elections.

According to the report, while diplomats from other countries met Rahman publicly, the Indian official requested secrecy regarding their meeting. Dr. Rahman said that all parties should maintain openness and that improving relations between the two countries is essential. Reuters contacted India’s Ministry of External Affairs, which did not directly confirm the meeting, though a government source acknowledged that India is engaging with various Bangladeshi political groups.

When asked about Pakistan, Rahman said Jamaat seeks balanced relations with all nations. He also commented that no government would feel entirely comfortable with current President Md. Shahabuddin, who was elected unopposed in 2023 with Awami League support.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has accused Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of causing the death of its chairperson and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia by keeping her imprisoned in what it called a false case and denying her medical treatment. The allegation was made during Zia’s funeral, which the report described as drawing millions of people at Manik Mia Avenue and the South Plaza of the National Parliament in Dhaka. BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan read out Zia’s life story before the crowd and blamed Hasina for her suffering and death.

According to the BNP statement, Khaleda Zia had been imprisoned since February 8, 2018, and her health deteriorated due to lack of medical care. The party claimed that Hasina acted out of personal vengeance and that Zia’s death was the result of prolonged neglect. Nazrul Islam Khan also recounted Zia’s political career, her leadership against autocracy, and the hardships faced by her family under Hasina’s government.

The BNP called on the public to pray for Khaleda Zia’s soul and asserted that Hasina would never be absolved of responsibility for the opposition leader’s death.

BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman has declared that he owns no house or car, with total assets valued at Tk 1.96 crore. The information was disclosed in his affidavit submitted with nomination papers for the 13th National Parliamentary Election. He is contesting from Bogura-6 (Sadar) and Dhaka-17 (Gulshan-Banani-Baridhara-Cantonment) constituencies. His profession is listed as politics, and his highest educational qualification is higher secondary. He stated that he is a citizen only of Bangladesh.

According to the affidavit, Rahman has Tk 31.58 lakh in cash and his wife holds Tk 66.54 lakh. He has no foreign currency or bank deposits but owns company shares worth Tk 50 lakh and fixed deposits of Tk 90.24 lakh. He possesses gold and ornaments valued at Tk 2,950 and furniture worth Tk 1.79 lakh. He owns 1.4 percent non-agricultural land valued at Tk 3.45 lakh, while his wife owns 111.25 percent land and a jointly owned two-storey building.

The affidavit also notes that Rahman has been acquitted or exempted from all 77 cases filed against him and has no loans from any bank or financial institution.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has said the party is interested in joining a national government after the upcoming elections. In an interview with Reuters at his office in Dhaka, he stated that the party seeks a stable country for at least five years and believes that if political parties unite, they can govern together. He added that the leader of the party winning the most seats should become prime minister, and if Jamaat wins the most, the party will decide whether he will take that role.

Rahman emphasized that an anti-corruption agenda should be a shared goal for any national government. He also expressed concern over Sheikh Hasina’s stay in India after losing power, saying Bangladesh-India relations have reached their lowest point in decades. He confirmed meeting an Indian diplomat earlier this year, noting that the official requested the meeting remain confidential. India’s foreign ministry did not comment, though a government source said it maintains contact with various political parties.

Rahman further stated that Jamaat seeks balanced relations with all countries, including Pakistan, without leaning toward any single nation.

Bangladesh Bank’s foreign exchange reserves have reached their highest level in three years, standing at 33 billion dollars, according to data released on Tuesday. The central bank has been purchasing dollars from local banks as remittance inflows rise and foreign loans arrive, pushing reserves up to 33.18 billion dollars. Under the IMF’s BPM6 accounting method, reserves are recorded at 28.51 billion dollars.

Bangladesh Bank bought 890 million dollars from seven banks through auction at a rate of 122.30 taka per dollar. In the first six months of the current fiscal year, total purchases reached 3.13 billion dollars, with more than 1 billion dollars bought in December alone. Governor Ahsan H. Mansur stated that reserves are expected to reach 34–35 billion dollars by the end of December, emphasizing that the increase is being achieved through domestic dollar purchases rather than external borrowing.

Remittance inflows have also strengthened, with 3.04 billion dollars arriving in the first 29 days of December. For the 2024–25 fiscal year, total remittances reached 30.33 billion dollars, up from 23.91 billion dollars in the previous year.

Three prominent Islamic scholars carried the coffin of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia after her funeral prayers in Dhaka. The scholars were As-Sunnah Foundation Chairman Shaykh Ahmadullah, Islamic speaker Maulana Mizanur Rahman Azhari, and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish Amir Maulana Mamunul Haque. The event took place on Wednesday at Manik Mia Avenue, where they joined Khaleda Zia’s relatives in carrying her coffin following the funeral prayers.

A delegation from Jamaat-e-Islami, led by its Amir Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, also attended the funeral. The delegation included senior party leaders such as Naib-e-Amir Maulana ANM Shamsul Islam, Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar, Assistant Secretary General Maulana ATM Ma’sum, and several other central and city-level leaders. The presence of these figures reflected participation from various Islamic and political groups at the ceremony.

The gathering at Manik Mia Avenue drew people from different parts of the country, marking a significant moment of farewell for the BNP leader.

The President of Bangladesh has issued the 'Smoking and Tobacco Products Use (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025', expanding the scope of public smoking restrictions and increasing penalties. The ordinance, released Tuesday night by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Law Ministry, raises the maximum fine for public smoking from 300 taka to 2,000 taka. It also broadens the definition of public places to include educational institutions, restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, transport terminals, parks, and fairs.

The amendment eliminates designated smoking zones, meaning no public place may now have a separate area for smoking. Smoking and tobacco use are also banned in building balconies, entrances, and surrounding open spaces. Additionally, the ordinance introduces mandatory standard packaging for tobacco products and increases the size of pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs from 50 percent to 75 percent of the surface area.

According to the government, these stricter measures aim to reduce tobacco use and protect public health nationwide.

From January to December 2025, at least 34 Bangladeshi nationals were killed by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) in various frontier areas, according to the annual human rights report released Wednesday by Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK). The report stated that 24 of the victims were shot dead, while 10 others died after physical assault. During the same period, 38 people were injured by gunfire or physical attacks, and 14 were abducted, four of whom were later returned to Bangladesh.

ASK’s report also highlighted a sharp rise in mob violence across the country during the year. It noted that people were beaten or killed based on suspicion or rumors without evidence, investigation, or legal process. The organization observed that law enforcement agencies often remained inactive and showed reluctance to bring perpetrators to justice. In some cases, mobs carried out killings and assaults in the presence of security forces, which ASK described as a serious threat to the rule of law and a cause of unprecedented disorder in society.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has imposed restrictions across the city during the state mourning period declared following the death of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. The mourning will be observed from Wednesday, December 31, to Friday, January 2. The DMP issued a public notice on Tuesday outlining several prohibitions to maintain decorum during this time.

According to the notice signed by DMP Commissioner Sheikh Md. Sajjat Ali, all forms of fireworks, firecrackers, sky lanterns, and gas balloons are banned within the Dhaka metropolitan area. Public cultural events, DJ parties, rallies, and processions are also prohibited. Additionally, residents have been instructed to refrain from loud horn use or any activities that may cause public disturbance.

The DMP urged full cooperation from city residents to ensure compliance with these directives throughout the mourning period.