The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has withdrawn the expulsion order of VP Sarkar Zahidul Haque Mithun, former general secretary of the party’s Brahmanpara upazila unit in Comilla. The decision was confirmed through a letter signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on January 1. Mithun had previously been expelled from all party positions and primary membership for alleged violations of party discipline and activities contrary to party principles. Following his appeal, the party reinstated his primary membership effective from January 1.

The withdrawal of the expulsion order has sparked enthusiasm and excitement among grassroots BNP leaders and activists in Brahmanpara upazila. Mithun, reflecting on his long political career, stated that he has been involved with the BNP and the Zia family since 1989, serving in various leadership roles including upazila Chhatra Dal convener, upazila Jubo Dal president, and upazila BNP general secretary.

The reinstatement marks a significant reconciliation within the local BNP structure, signaling renewed unity among its grassroots members in the region.

Turkey’s security forces arrested 85 suspected members of the militant group ISIS during separate anti-terror operations across the country’s eastern regions on Friday. The arrests took place in multiple provinces, including Şanlıurfa, Ağrı, and Istanbul, as part of a coordinated effort to dismantle ISIS-linked networks.

In Şanlıurfa, eight suspects were detained for allegedly posting content on social media praising ISIS. In Ağrı province, police arrested ten individuals accused of having ties to the group and seized banned books and digital materials. Istanbul’s chief public prosecutor’s office detained 67 more suspects. Authorities also transferred 32 individuals to repatriation centers after determining they posed a threat to national security. One alleged leader was identified for conducting illegal classes and recruiting supporters.

The operations followed a December 29 terrorist attack that killed three police officers, prompting Turkey to intensify its counterterrorism measures nationwide.

Awami League leader Syed A K Ekramuzzaman, also known as Sukhan, has been declared a valid independent candidate for the Brahmanbaria-1 (Nasirnagar) constituency in the 13th National Parliamentary Election. The decision was announced on Friday, January 2, by District Commissioner and Returning Officer Sharmin Akter Jahan after verifying his nomination papers. Ekramuzzaman was not present during the scrutiny, and police sources confirmed he is currently absconding in multiple criminal cases.

Local sources and the Election Office stated that Ekramuzzaman was once an adviser to the BNP chairperson but was expelled from the party for contesting independently in the 2024 general election. After winning that election, he joined the Awami League in February 2024. His affidavit lists seven ongoing cases, most linked to the July 2024 mass uprising. The decision to validate his nomination has sparked mixed reactions locally and criticism on social media.

BNP candidate Abdul Hannan has demanded the cancellation of Ekramuzzaman’s nomination, calling him a fugitive. The Returning Officer said the documents were legally sound but noted that complaints have been forwarded to the Election Commission, where appeals can be filed under election rules.

A man named Abdus Salam, aged 35 and a tube-well mechanic by profession, was killed in a wild elephant attack in Baishari Union of Naikhongchhari upazila, Bandarban. The incident occurred around 6:45 a.m. on Saturday at Titarpara Galasira area along the Alikhyong road. According to local accounts, Salam approached the elephant to take a photograph as it crossed the road near his house. The animal became agitated by barking dogs nearby and suddenly charged at him, trampling him to death on the spot.

Salam was the sole breadwinner of his family, supporting three young children and his physically disabled father, Abdus Sattar. Following the incident, the in-charge of Baishari Police Investigation Center, Inspector Md. Anwarul Islam, visited the scene and prepared an inquest report. The tragic death has cast a pall of grief over the entire area.

The report highlights the severe impact on Salam’s family, now facing deep uncertainty after losing their only source of income.

The returning officer and Dhaka District Commissioner Md Rezaul Karim has cancelled the nomination of Jamaat-e-Islami’s candidate Colonel (Retd.) Abdul Haque for the Dhaka-2 constituency. The decision was announced on Saturday morning during the scrutiny of nomination papers for the 13th National Parliamentary Election at the Dhaka District Commissioner’s office. According to a Bangladesh Bank Credit Information Bureau (CIB) report, Abdul Haque was identified as a loan defaulter.

The district commissioner stated that Abdul Haque had taken a loan in the name of an organization called National Development Organization while serving as one of its directors. Based on this information, his nomination was declared invalid. In the same constituency, the nominations of BNP candidate Aman Ullah Aman and Islami Andolan Bangladesh candidate Zahirul Islam were declared valid.

The cancellation narrows the field of candidates for Dhaka-2 ahead of the upcoming national election, leaving the BNP and Islami Andolan contenders cleared to continue their campaigns.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that no further action is expected in Venezuela following the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro. Rubio also confirmed that Maduro will be tried in the United States. His remarks came after US Senator Mike Lee confirmed Maduro’s detention, which had earlier been announced by former President Donald Trump.

According to a BBC report cited in the source, Senator Lee spoke with Rubio by phone and said the secretary of state does not anticipate additional measures in Venezuela now that Maduro is in US custody. Lee added that the US strikes in Venezuela were conducted to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrants. Earlier, Lee had questioned on social media how such actions could be constitutionally justified without a declaration of war or congressional authorization for military force.

Trump had previously written on his social media platform Truth Social that the United States carried out extensive strikes in Venezuela and detained Maduro and his wife with the cooperation of US law enforcement agencies.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has written a letter expressing support for Umar Khalid, a former Jawaharlal Nehru University student and human rights activist currently imprisoned in India. The handwritten letter was delivered to Khalid’s parents and became public on Thursday, though it had been written several days earlier. In the letter, Mamdani reflected on Khalid’s difficult experiences and praised his resilience, noting his meeting with Khalid’s parents.

Umar Khalid has been held in Delhi’s Tihar Jail for nearly six years under anti-terrorism charges related to alleged conspiracy in the 2020 communal violence in Delhi. Although the Delhi High Court released him from one case, he remains detained in another, with multiple bail requests denied.

Separately, eight members of the U.S. Congress sent a joint letter to India’s ambassador to the United States, Vinay Kwatra, expressing concern about Khalid’s situation. These lawmakers also met with Khalid’s parents in December 2025.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have officially released Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman following a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The franchise confirmed the decision in a statement, saying it acted in accordance with BCCI’s instructions and procedures before the next phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL). BCCI has also allowed KKR to select a replacement player under IPL regulations.

BCCI secretary Debajit Saikia told India’s news agency ANI from Guwahati on January 3 that the board instructed KKR to remove Mustafizur from their squad due to political pressure and controversy surrounding his participation in the IPL. Saikia explained that although the board initially adopted a “wait and watch” approach, it ultimately made a difficult decision to resolve the issue.

The controversy intensified after a BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh labeled KKR co-owner and Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan a “traitor” for signing Mustafizur. Several self-proclaimed spiritual figures in India also criticized Khan over the matter.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has instructed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from their Indian Premier League (IPL) squad. The directive was confirmed on January 3, 2026, in Guwahati by BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia, who cited political pressure and controversy surrounding Mustafizur’s participation in the tournament.

According to Saikia, the BCCI initially adopted a ‘wait and watch’ approach but ultimately decided to remove the player due to escalating political tensions between India and Bangladesh. He added that KKR would be allowed to select a replacement player with BCCI’s approval. The issue gained attention after some Indian political figures and self-proclaimed spiritual leaders criticized KKR’s decision to sign Mustafizur, with one BJP leader labeling team co-owner Shah Rukh Khan a ‘traitor’.

The decision marks a rare instance of political disputes directly influencing IPL team composition, raising questions about the tournament’s insulation from external pressures.

The nomination paper of Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman for the Dhaka-15 constituency has been declared valid for the 13th National Parliamentary Election. The decision was announced on Saturday by the regional election officer in Dhaka.

Earlier, on December 25, a delegation led by Jamaat’s Assistant Secretary General Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair collected the nomination paper from the returning officer’s office in Agargaon on behalf of the party chief. From the same constituency, BNP’s local organizer and former Jubo Dal general secretary Shafiqul Islam Khan Milton also collected a nomination form.

Alongside the main candidates from Jamaat and BNP, six other political parties and one independent candidate submitted nomination papers. They include representatives from the Communist Party of Bangladesh, Gano Forum, Jatiya Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Janatar Dal, Bangladesh Supreme Party, and independent candidate Md. Tanjil Islam.

The verification process for nomination papers in the Bagerhat-1 constituency has been completed, with a total of eleven candidates submitting their papers. Among them, three nominations have been canceled. The canceled candidates include Mojibur Rahman Shamim of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis for loan default, independent candidate Mushfiqur Rahman due to voter mismatch, and Golam Sarwar of the Jatiya Party for being a loan defaulter.

According to the district correspondent, the scrutiny of nomination papers for the remaining three constituencies in Bagerhat district is still ongoing. The report did not mention any objections or appeals following the cancellations.

The completion of verification in Bagerhat-1 marks a key step in the electoral process for the constituency, while the ongoing scrutiny in other constituencies indicates that the overall nomination review process in the district is still in progress.

A video from Uttar Pradesh’s Kaushambi police station has gone viral showing Station House Officer Ajay Sharma pressing a smartphone against a resident’s back and claiming to determine whether the person is Indian or Bangladeshi. The incident, which took place in a slum area, has triggered widespread criticism after being shared on social media. The video shows police accusing a family of being Bangladeshi despite their insistence and presentation of documents proving they are from Bihar’s Araria district.

The controversy comes amid repeated warnings from India’s Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi about identifying illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Following the uproar, Ghaziabad police ordered a high-level investigation into the authenticity of the video and the conduct of the officers involved. The inquiry has been assigned to the Assistant Commissioner of Police of Indirapuram Circle.

Police sources said such operations are usually conducted to maintain public safety in sensitive areas, but the unusual method and alleged harassment have drawn sharp public scrutiny.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has appointed former secretary A B M Abdus Sattar as the private secretary to its acting chairman Tareq Rahman and former Dhaka Reporters Unity general secretary A A M Saleh (Saleh Shibli) as press secretary. The announcement was made on Saturday afternoon through a press release signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

According to the release, Abdus Sattar, who previously served as private secretary to former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, will now assist Tareq Rahman in his official duties. Saleh Shibli, who has earlier worked as Tareq Rahman’s press secretary and held other key responsibilities within the party, recently returned to Bangladesh from the United Kingdom on December 25.

The appointments mark a continuation of experienced leadership within the BNP’s central operations, as both appointees have long-standing ties with the party’s top leadership.

Police in Shahrashti upazila of Chandpur recovered two pistols stolen from Dhaka’s Khilkhet police station, along with ammunition and police equipment, during a raid on Friday night. Acting on a secret tip-off, law enforcement searched the home of Alomgir Hossain in Paschim Uplata village around 8:15 p.m. and seized the weapons. The recovered items included a Taras pistol, a China-made pistol, four magazines, 30 rounds of bullets, police uniforms, belts, glasses, a body camera, and a gas mask. Alomgir’s wife, Lovely Begum, 38, and son, Foysal Hossain, 21, were detained.

According to police, Lovely Begum admitted during questioning that the seized weapons were among those looted from a police station on August 5, 2024. Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Ops) Md Lutfor Rahman said the operation was led by Assistant Superintendent Md A. Hai and Officer-in-Charge Mir Mahbubur Rahman after receiving intelligence about the stolen arms linked to the anti-discrimination movement.

Police said a case is being prepared in connection with the recovery and arrests.

Al Nassr began the new year with disappointment as their ten-match winning streak in the Saudi Pro League came to an end. The team, featuring Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, lost 3-2 to Al Ahli. English forward Tony Evans scored twice for Al Ahli, while Merih Demiral added another goal. Abdullah Al-Amri netted both goals for Al Nassr in a match where Ronaldo remained largely ineffective.

The game started with Tony scoring in the seventh minute, followed by a second goal in the 20th minute after a long pass from his own half. Al Nassr fought back through Al-Amri, who scored from distance in the 30th minute and then equalized with a header just before halftime. In the second half, Al Ahli regained control, and Demiral’s strike in the 53rd minute sealed the win.

This defeat marked Al Nassr’s first loss in eleven league matches, leaving them with 31 points from ten wins and one draw before this match.