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.

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.