Rashed Khan, a young national-level politician, has resigned from Gono Odhikar Parishad and joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Following his move, he received the BNP nomination for the Jhenaidah-2 (Kaliganj–Sadar partial) constituency. According to his election affidavit, he owns no house, car, land, or plot. He listed his professions as politics and business, while his wife, Rabeya Akter Alo, was described as a homemaker.

The affidavit states that Rashed Khan holds 3,545,875 taka in cash and 7,582 taka in two private bank accounts. His wife has 30,000 taka in cash. The couple jointly possess 40 bhori of gold, valued at 81,48,412 taka at current rates, received as gifts. His wife also owns gold, electronics, furniture, and other household items worth about 17,70,000 taka. Rashed Khan declared no immovable property, shares, bonds, savings certificates, or foreign assets.

For the 2025–26 fiscal year, he reported an income of 450,000 taka and total assets worth 38,45,915 taka, according to his tax return information.

The Chittagong University undergraduate admission tests for the 2025–26 academic year will begin on Friday, January 2, with the ‘A’ unit under the Faculty of Science. A total of 233,327 candidates are competing for 4,165 seats across four units and three sub-units, meaning 56 applicants per seat. The highest number of applicants, 87,794, have applied for the ‘A’ unit, which includes science, biology, engineering, and marine sciences faculties, while the lowest, 1,421, have applied for the ‘D-1’ sub-unit under the Faculty of Education.

The exams will be held in three divisional cities—Chittagong University, Dhaka University, and Rajshahi University. The ‘A’ unit test starts at 11:15 a.m. and ends at 12:15 p.m. on Friday. Other units will follow on January 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Each test carries 120 marks, including 100 for multiple-choice questions and 20 from SSC and HSC GPA scores. A penalty of 0.25 marks applies for each wrong answer.

Security arrangements include 637 personnel, with traffic police, university security staff, and law enforcement agencies ensuring order. Six information booths and six parent waiting tents have been set up for assistance.

A police sub-inspector named Abdul Alim died of a heart attack while on duty at the Chapainawabganj Police Lines on Thursday evening. He was being taken to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital when he passed away. Abdul Alim was the son of the late Bander Ali from Baroipara village in Sujanagar upazila of Pabna district and was serving at the Chapainawabganj Police Lines. The officer-in-charge of Chapainawabganj Sadar Police Station, Nure Alam, confirmed the incident.

According to reports, Alim suddenly felt unwell in the afternoon while performing his duties. Fellow police members first took him to the 250-bed Chapainawabganj District Hospital, where doctors found his condition critical and referred him to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. He died on the way to Rajshahi. Dr. Rumali Khatun, emergency medical officer at Chapainawabganj District Hospital, said the officer was admitted after a heart attack and later referred due to his serious condition.

The incident has been officially confirmed by police authorities, and medical officers have detailed the sequence of treatment attempts before his death.

Jamaat-e-Islami central executive member and Sylhet city Ameer Muhammad Fakhrul Islam stated that despite Bangladesh’s vast potential, ordinary citizens remain deprived of their rightful benefits due to the absence of proper political direction and honest leadership. He made these remarks on Thursday, January 1, during a winter clothing distribution event organized by the 39th Ward Jamaat at Tukergaon in Sylhet’s Jalalabad area.

Fakhrul Islam criticized corruption and plundering in politics, saying that while some leaders have amassed personal wealth, marginalized and underprivileged people see no positive impact on their lives. He emphasized Jamaat-e-Islami’s goal of building a welfare state by eliminating social inequality and establishing a justice-based system. He urged party members at all levels to work unitedly to fulfill public expectations.

He added that Jamaat believes in serving humanity to attain divine satisfaction and continues humanitarian efforts such as distributing winter clothes to the poor affected by severe cold across the country, including Sylhet.

The Chattogram district administration has launched a winter blanket distribution program for cold-affected people, led by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mohammad Zahidul Islam Miah. During a late-night visit to different city areas, the DC encountered a beggar family at the Sholoshahar railway station. After hearing their plea for help, he provided initial assistance and invited them to his office, promising permanent rehabilitation.

According to district administration sources, the DC and his team distributed blankets among destitute people on Wednesday night, starting from Sholoshahar station and continuing through several city points. Among those they met was Abdul Majid, a physically challenged man from Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, who lives on the streets of Chattogram with his seven-year-old daughter Yasmin. The DC assured them of long-term support, citing concern for the child’s safety and future.

Following the incident, news of the DC’s gesture spread widely on social media, drawing widespread praise for his compassionate response and commitment to social welfare.

Brazilian football star Neymar Jr. has renewed his contract with Santos FC for another year, extending his stay with the club until December 31, 2026. The announcement ends speculation that he might leave his boyhood team. According to Brazilian outlet Globo, Neymar will remain with Santos at least until the end of club president Marcelo Teixeira’s term. The new deal marks his third contract since returning to Santos, following two six-month agreements in 2025.

Under the new terms, Neymar will earn a salary comparable to several average players at the club. In addition to his playing contract, Santos has a separate image rights agreement with NR Sports, a company owned by Neymar’s family, valued at 85 million Brazilian reals to be paid by the end of next year. Neymar is currently recovering from meniscus surgery on his left knee, with a return to the field expected no earlier than mid-February.

Santos credits Neymar’s performance last season for avoiding relegation, as he scored four goals and provided one assist in three decisive 3–0 victories despite playing through injury.

Mushfiq Us Salehin, joint member secretary and media cell editor of the National Citizens Party (NCP), has resigned from the party. On Thursday, January 1, 2026, he announced his resignation through the NCP’s media-related WhatsApp group and confirmed that he had sent his resignation letter to convener Nahid Islam later that afternoon.

Earlier the same day, Khan Muhammad Mursalin, the party’s joint chief coordinator, also resigned through a video message posted on his Facebook account. Both resignations were made public within hours of each other, indicating a wave of departures from the NCP’s leadership ranks.

The report did not specify the reasons behind the resignations or any official response from the party leadership.

Bangladesh’s postal department-backed digital financial service provider Nagad recorded transactions worth approximately Tk 3.8 trillion in the recently concluded year, marking a 15 percent increase from the previous year’s Tk 3.3 trillion. The company disclosed the figures in a press release issued on Thursday, noting that December alone saw transactions totaling Tk 355.3 billion, the highest monthly volume to date.

According to Nagad’s administrator Md. Motasim Billah, the company consistently strives to offer value to its customers through various campaigns throughout the year, alongside maintaining the lowest cash-out charges in the market. The record transaction volume was primarily driven by cash-in, cash-out, money transfer, bill payments, mobile recharges, and remittance services.

The company’s continued growth underscores the expanding adoption of digital financial services in Bangladesh, with Nagad maintaining a strong position in the competitive mobile financial services sector.

The group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations has concluded, setting the stage for the Round of 16 matches beginning on January 3 and continuing until January 6. Egypt, led by Mohamed Salah, was the first team to qualify for the knockout phase, while Mozambique became the last to advance. Defending champions Ivory Coast defeated Gabon 3–2 to top Group F with seven points and will face Burkina Faso in the next round.

In the same group, Cameroon beat Mozambique 2–1 to qualify as the second team and will meet South Africa in the Round of 16. Mozambique advanced as one of the four best third-placed teams. Algeria topped Group E with nine points after a 3–1 win over Equatorial Guinea and will play DR Congo. The knockout fixtures also include Senegal vs Sudan, Mali vs Tunisia, Morocco vs Tanzania, Egypt vs Benin, and Nigeria vs Mozambique.

Quarterfinals are scheduled for January 9–10, semifinals on January 14, the third-place match on January 17, and the final on January 18 at 1 a.m. Bangladesh time.

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.