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.

Jagannath University has announced that the Central Student Parliament (JAKSU) and hall student council elections will take place on January 6. To ensure smooth conduct of the polls, the university administration has issued several new directives for teachers, officers, and employees. The notice, signed by Acting Registrar Professor Dr. Md. Sheikh Gias Uddin on January 1, outlines mandatory attendance and operational guidelines during the election period.

According to the notice, all teachers, officers, and employees must remain present at their respective workplaces from January 4 to 6, and no leave applications will be accepted during this time. The administration has also requested that no academic tours or study trips be scheduled by any institute or department during the election period.

The circular further instructs all deans, institute directors, department chairmen, and office heads to take necessary steps to implement and ensure compliance with these directives.

On the first day of scrutiny for the 13th National Parliamentary Election, four nomination papers were canceled in the Jashore-2 constituency, including that of Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Dr. Mosleh Uddin Farid. The Election Commission office stated that the Jamaat candidate would have the opportunity to appeal and could regain his candidacy upon providing proper information regarding the identified error.

Following the cancellation, Dr. Farid called on voters in his constituency not to be confused by the development. In a post on his verified Facebook page, he explained that the objection raised by the Election Commission was previously unknown to him but had since been resolved. He added that the Commission advised him to appeal with the necessary correction, and his legal team assured him that the issue would be settled through the appeal process.

Dr. Farid announced that the appeal would be submitted within the next two working days and sought prayers and support from his constituents as he proceeded with the appeal process.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal citing US intelligence sources, American officials have stated that there is no evidence Ukraine attempted to attack Russian President Vladimir Putin or his residence. The CIA’s assessment indicates that Ukraine did not target Putin or any of his residences in the recent drone incident. Officials clarified that Ukraine’s intended target was a military site located in the same region as Putin’s residence but not near it.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia has failed to provide credible evidence supporting its claim of a Ukrainian drone strike on the president’s residence in the Novgorod region. Former US President Donald Trump also dismissed the Russian claim in a social media post linking to a New York Post editorial that criticized Putin’s reaction to the alleged attack. Trump later said he believed the attack might not have occurred after speaking with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky denied the allegation, arguing that such claims undermine Ukraine’s diplomatic progress with Trump’s team and could be used to justify further Russian aggression.

Eight victims buried as unidentified after the July uprising have been identified through DNA testing, according to a briefing held Thursday evening at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka. Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam announced that the remains were among 118 bodies exhumed from the Rayerbazar graveyard. Families of the identified individuals have been informed, and the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs will soon release further details.

The identification process is being conducted under international standards. Shafiqul Alam said that the same international experts who worked on identifying victims of the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia trained Bangladeshi specialists for this effort. Local experts have been equipped to perform precise DNA-based identification.

The press secretary emphasized that the government remains committed to confirming the identity of every martyr, despite the process being time-consuming and complex. The initiative began after the interim government took office to identify those buried as unclaimed following the July–August mass uprising.

Police in Gobindaganj, Gaibandha, arrested seven people, including two leaders of the banned Awami League and five gamblers, during separate overnight raids on Wednesday in Talukkanupur and Shalmara unions. The arrests were made based on secret information, according to local reports.

Those detained include Rezaul Karim, 47, organizational secretary of Talukkanupur Union Awami League and former union council member, and Sarwar Hossain Bepari, 56, former president of Shalmara Union Swechchhasebak League. In a separate operation the same night, police arrested five gamblers—Rabiul Islam, 39, Abdul Jobbar, 62, Madhu Mia, 42, Lichu Mia, 37, and Shariful Islam, 44—from Talukkanupur Bazar along with gambling materials.

Gobindaganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mozammel Haque confirmed the arrests and said all seven detainees were sent to Gaibandha District Jail through the court.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s central Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher stated that the people are ready to vote for the Islami Dal to build a better Bangladesh. He made the remarks on Thursday afternoon during a meeting with local Jamaat leaders at Konkapait Union in Chauddagram upazila of Cumilla district.

Dr. Taher said that the people of Bangladesh are now divided into two sides—one supporting a political party and the other comprising the general public backing the Islami coalition. He emphasized that the spirit of the mass uprising should be implemented and that citizens are prepared to vote for the Islami Dal to establish a corruption-free and peaceful Bangladesh. He urged all to seek votes from everyone, regardless of political affiliation, to make the election festive.

The meeting was presided over by VP Shahab Uddin, convener of the Konkapait Union election management committee, and attended by local Jamaat leaders including Maulana Hasan Mojumdar, former UP chairman Iqbal Hossain Mojumdar, and union secretary Peyar Ahmed.

Joint forces intensified vehicle searches across Gopalganj to maintain law and order and ensure public safety ahead of the upcoming national parliamentary election. On Wednesday night, December 31, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., a joint team of police and army personnel set up a checkpoint at Gohardanga Chourangi intersection on the Dhaka–Pirojpur highway in Tungipara. Over a hundred vehicles were inspected during the operation.

Executive Magistrate and Assistant Commissioner (Land) Al-Amin Halder led the inspection, verifying driving licenses, registration papers, and safety equipment. Five cases were filed for missing helmets and invalid documents, resulting in fines totaling Tk 15,000. Passenger bags were also checked, but no untoward incidents were reported.

Officials stated that such coordinated operations involving the army, police, and magistrates will continue regularly in key and crowded areas to keep law and order stable and raise awareness among drivers about carrying valid documents and using helmets.

The Cumilla Battalion of Border Guard Bangladesh (10 BGB) seized illegal Indian goods worth about Tk 20 million from Rasulpur Railway Station in Cumilla district. The operation took place on the night of December 31, when a special task force comprising BGB and police members conducted a raid on the Chattala Express train bound for Chattogram. The seized items included fireworks, cosmetics, saris, basmati rice, and snacks, all found without any owner. The seizure was confirmed by Colonel Mir Ali Ejaz, commanding officer of the 10 BGB.

According to BGB sources, the Cumilla Battalion regularly conducts operations to prevent smuggling and cross-border crimes within its assigned border areas. The December 31 operation was carried out in the presence of Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate Rafid Khan, under the leadership of the battalion’s adjutant. The seized goods were valued at Tk 1 crore 86 lakh 68 thousand 670.

Colonel Mir Ali Ejaz stated that necessary legal measures would be taken regarding the confiscated goods and that such anti-smuggling operations would continue.

The Election Commission has canceled the nominations of four candidates and validated eight others in Chattogram-11 (Bandar–Patenga) constituency following the scrutiny of nomination papers for the 13th National Parliamentary Election. The decision was announced on Thursday, January 1, by Chattogram Regional Election Officer and Returning Officer Mohammad Belayet Hossain Chowdhury after completing the verification process.

According to the election office, the four canceled candidates are independent Mohammad Jahangir Bhuiyan, Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s Md. Nur Uddin, Gono Odhikar Parishad’s Muhammad Nezam Uddin, and BNP’s rebel candidate A.K.M. Abu Taher. Their nominations were rejected for reasons including incorrect voter support lists, incomplete party forms, unpaid city corporation dues, and loan default. Eight candidates from various political parties, including BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Party, and others, were declared valid.

The election office stated that a total of 12 candidates had submitted nomination papers for Chattogram-11, while 23 had collected forms earlier. After verification, four nominations were canceled and eight were approved for the upcoming election.

The Government of Bangladesh has approved a plan to purchase 14 aircraft from U.S. manufacturer Boeing. The decision was endorsed in a Biman Bangladesh Airlines board meeting held on Tuesday, where members agreed in principle to proceed with formal negotiations on pricing and terms. Boeing’s proposal, submitted on November 24, 2025, and revised on December 20, 2025, includes two Boeing 787-9s, eight 787-10s, and four 737-8s. Biman’s managing director and CEO Md. Shafiqul Rahman confirmed in a letter to Boeing’s vice president that the approval marks only the start of formal discussions and does not yet create any financial or legal obligations.

The move aligns with Bangladesh’s broader strategy to strengthen trade and economic ties with the United States. Officials view the purchase as a step toward reducing the bilateral trade deficit and improving understanding on export tariff issues. A committee will now be formed to negotiate pricing and related matters with Boeing.

According to officials, if implemented, the fleet expansion could enhance Biman’s international competitiveness and bring positive changes to the country’s aviation sector.

Turkey has announced that Chinese citizens will be allowed to enter the country without a visa for tourism and transit purposes starting January 2, 2026. The decision, published in the Official Gazette through a presidential decree, was reported by Turkey-based Hurriyet Daily News. Under the new rule, holders of passports from the People's Republic of China can stay in Turkey for up to 90 days within a 180-day period without a visa.

The move is expected to boost bilateral tourism and strengthen economic ties between Turkey and China. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1971 and elevated to a strategic cooperation level in 2010. In recent years, trade and investment relations have expanded significantly, with bilateral trade rising from 1 billion dollars in 2001 to 48 billion dollars in 2024.

According to the Turkish Statistical Institute, Turkey exported goods worth 3.4 billion dollars to China in 2024, while imports reached 44.9 billion dollars. The two nations have also been exploring cooperation in electric vehicle production and raw material processing, with Chinese automaker BYD already signing a deal to establish a production facility in Turkey.