Bangladesh has introduced the 'Moon Alert' system for the first time to ensure rapid recovery of missing and abducted children. The initiative, launched by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), was inaugurated on Tuesday morning at the CID headquarters in Malibagh, Dhaka, by Additional IGP and CID chief Md. Shibgat Ullah. A toll-free helpline, 13219, has been integrated with the system to facilitate immediate reporting and coordination.

According to CID, once a child goes missing, information will be disseminated quickly through police stations, social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, banking ATM booths, metro rail networks, and other key public platforms across the country. The alert will also appear on large screens at bus, train, and launch terminals. Border alerts will be issued to prevent child trafficking, with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) being notified. Law enforcement agencies will prioritize the first three hours after disappearance as the most critical period for recovery.

CID stated that the system will be centrally monitored and coordinated with multiple government stakeholders. It is expected to play an effective role in combating child-related crimes and enhancing public participation in child protection efforts.

The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement has submitted a complaint to the International Crimes Tribunal against 25 prominent businessmen, including Salman F Rahman, for allegedly supporting the Hasina government during the July Revolution. The complaint was filed on Tuesday by the organization’s president, Rifat Rashid, to the tribunal’s Chief Prosecutor. Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim confirmed receipt of the complaint, which also includes allegations against 200 unidentified individuals, and said it will soon be forwarded to the tribunal’s investigation agency.

According to the complaint, on July 22, 2024, during an internet shutdown, Salman F Rahman led a meeting at Dhaka’s Osmani Memorial Auditorium where several business leaders pledged to assist Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in suppressing the movement. The document cites speeches by Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, Mahbub Alam, SM Mannan Kachi, and Nazrul Islam Majumder expressing loyalty to Hasina and calling for unity against opposition forces. The complaint claims these statements reveal a conspiracy to uphold what it describes as an illegitimate government.

The student group requested a thorough investigation and appropriate action against the accused following due process.

July Oikya submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission Secretariat on Tuesday afternoon demanding the cancellation of nominations of candidates from the Jatiya Party, the 14-Party Alliance, and the NDF coalition. The memorandum was handed to Additional Secretary M Ali Newaz at 1:30 p.m. by leaders of the organization, who also called for the recovery of illegal weapons and the disqualification of those they accused of involvement in past violence.

In the memorandum, July Oikya alleged that the Awami League-led 14-Party government carried out mass killings during the 2024 uprising, claiming over 1,400 lives. The group argued that individuals and parties linked to those events, including the Jatiya Party led by G.M. Quader, should not be allowed to contest the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. They further alleged that remnants of authoritarian elements remain within the administration, undermining prospects for a fair election.

The memorandum also expressed concern that the state might attempt “election engineering” to favor a particular party. July Oikya urged the Election Commission to take steps to restore public trust and ensure a neutral electoral environment.

Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed stated that no decision has yet been made regarding the introduction of the ninth pay scale. He said the government will decide after receiving the Pay Commission’s report. Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat on Tuesday after a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Government Procurement, he noted that the Pay Commission is currently working on the matter and that he will meet with them within a day or two.

Ahmed explained that the commission comprises 21 members who will evaluate all aspects before publishing their report. Once the report is released, details about implementation and announcement timing will become clear. During the same meeting, he announced plans to train 60,000 drivers—40,000 new and 20,000 previously trained—in heavy vehicle operation, with the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) organizing the program.

He also said a bridge will be built in Barishal under a joint government and OPEC Fund initiative. The Roads and Highways Department will implement the project on the Barishal (Dinerarpul)-Lakshmi Pasha-Dumki road, improving connectivity to remote areas of Bhola.

A Dhaka court has set February 2 for the verdict in a corruption case against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her niece Tulip Siddiq, Azmina Siddiq, and 15 others. The case involves allegations of abuse of power and irregularities in the allocation of a 10-katha plot under the Purbachal New Town Project by the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK). The date was fixed on January 13 by Judge Rabiul Alam of the Dhaka Special Judge Court-4. The court also scheduled January 18 for arguments in another case involving Hasina, Radwan Mujib Bobby Siddiq, and Tulip Siddiq.

According to the Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) public prosecutor Mohammad Zahirul Islam, the court has heard testimonies from 32 witnesses, and the prosecution believes the evidence proves the charges. The case was initially filed on January 13 of the previous year by ACC Assistant Director Afnan Jannat Keya against Azmina Siddiq, naming 16 accused including Hasina and Tulip. Following investigation, a charge sheet against 18 individuals was submitted on March 10.

The accused include several officials from the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and RAJUK, as well as former state minister Sharif Ahmed and former Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Mohammad Salah Uddin.

The July Oikya alliance’s ‘March to Election Commission’ program faced police obstruction in Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon. The group began marching toward the Election Commission around 1 p.m. to demand the cancellation of candidacies of National Party, 14-party, and NDF alliance nominees for the 13th parliamentary election. Police stopped the procession in front of the Islamic Foundation. Demonstrators carried placards and chanted slogans calling for the cancellation of the National Party’s participation. A delegation from July Oikya later entered the Election Commission office to submit a memorandum, while other members remained outside.

According to the organizers, the march and memorandum submission were part of a broader campaign inspired by the spirit of the 2024 mass uprising. They announced plans to continue similar programs on January 14 in divisional cities, marching toward regional Election Commission offices to submit memoranda.

Law enforcement agencies, including Ansar, police, RAB, and Coast Guard, were deployed in front of the Election Commission in Agargaon to maintain order. Officials said they were prepared to handle any untoward situation.

The White House said the United States is keeping the option of airstrikes against Iran if the country's violent suppression of anti-government protests continues. Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt told reporters on Monday that Washington is deeply concerned about the rising casualties on Iranian streets. She emphasized that while military options remain on the table, diplomatic channels are still open, reflecting President Donald Trump’s stated preference for diplomatic solutions first.

Leavitt noted that President Trump’s leadership style involves keeping all options open, including airstrikes. She also revealed that Iran’s leadership is sending mixed messages, speaking differently in private communications than in public statements. The Iranian Foreign Ministry confirmed that, despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations, a secret communication channel exists between Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff.

Human rights organizations reported that the death toll in Iran continues to rise, while internet shutdowns have limited information flow from inside the country. Leavitt acknowledged that Trump does not want to see people killed in Tehran’s streets but said that, unfortunately, such violence is ongoing.

The Chief Adviser’s Press Wing has released its second photocard urging citizens to vote 'Yes' in the upcoming referendum aimed at building a 'Dream Bangladesh'. The photocard, shared on social media on Tuesday, carries the message encouraging people to support the initiative. According to the Press Wing, a total of eight photocards will be published between January 11 and 18 as part of the referendum campaign.

The campaign seeks to raise public awareness about the referendum and encourage active citizen participation. The first photocard of the 'Referendum 2026' campaign was released on Sunday. Alongside the photocard series, the government has launched extensive nationwide programs to promote understanding of the referendum.

As part of these efforts, field-level government officials, religious leaders, and representatives of non-governmental organizations are being trained to foster positive perceptions about the referendum at the grassroots level.

The Election Commission continued its fourth day of hearings on appeals against returning officers’ decisions for the upcoming parliamentary election. The session began at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at the commission’s auditorium in Agargaon, Dhaka. By noon, 12 appeals had been resolved, with six granted, five rejected, and one candidate absent. Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin presided over the proceedings, joined by other commissioners.

Among the rejected appeals, independent candidates from Joypurhat-1, Narail-1, Pirojpur-2, Satkhira-1, and Jamalpur-5 constituencies lost their nominations due to irregularities such as mismatched voter lists, incomplete voter quotas, loan default, and missing or false signatures. The Gonodhikar Parishad candidate from Cumilla-3 remained absent from the hearing. Over the previous three days, 150 candidates had their nominations reinstated, while one was canceled.

The parliamentary election and a national referendum are scheduled to be held together on February 12, according to the commission’s schedule.

Students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) staged an overnight protest following a directive from the Bangladesh Election Commission prohibiting any elections before the national polls. The protest intensified across the campus on Monday night, with student groups including Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir organizing demonstrations at various locations. During the agitation, a vice president candidate from Bijoy 24 Hall suffered a cardiac arrest and was taken to Mount Adora Hospital.

In the early hours of Tuesday, SUST students and the university’s election commission held discussions with the administration. After lengthy talks, all parties agreed that by 5 p.m. today, the university administration must consult the Bangladesh Election Commission and announce a clear “yes” or “no” decision on whether the SUST Central Students’ Union (ShakSU) election will proceed on January 20.

The vice-chancellor, currently in Dhaka, informed through the deputy vice-chancellor that he would meet the chief adviser between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and could visit the Election Commission afterward. Students set a firm deadline for the administration to deliver a decision within the stipulated time.

Louise Adler, director of Adelaide Writers’ Week, resigned on Tuesday after the festival’s board cancelled the participation of Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah. The decision sparked widespread backlash, with former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and many writers and guests boycotting the event. According to local media, around 180 artists and participants have withdrawn their names from the festival.

Adler said she resigned in protest against what she described as extreme and repressive pressure from pro-Israel lobbies. In an open letter published in The Guardian, she wrote that art is being labeled as unsafe and artists are being portrayed as threats to society. She argued that repeated references to “security” were being used to suppress dissent and that such reasoning was applied only to the Palestinian invitee.

The festival board stated that its decision followed the December 14 Bondi Beach shooting at a Jewish festival that left 15 people dead. Abdel-Fattah condemned the move as blatant anti-Palestinian racism and called attempts to link her to the violence “vile and baseless.”

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) of Bangladesh has reduced customs duty on mobile phone imports from 25 percent to 10 percent through a new gazette notification. The decision, announced on Tuesday by the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, aims to keep mobile phone prices within consumers’ purchasing power. As a result, the total import duty on mobile phones has decreased by 6 percent.

To prevent local mobile phone assembling companies from facing unfair competition, the NBR also issued a separate notification reducing customs duty on imported components for assembly from 10 percent to 5 percent. According to the ministry’s statement, this represents a 50 percent reduction in the existing import duty on components.

The ministry said that due to these changes, the price of imported mobile phones priced above Tk 30,000 is expected to fall by about Tk 5,500, while locally assembled phones in the same price range may drop by about Tk 1,500. The government expects the overall price reduction to make mobile phones more affordable for the general public.

The High Court has removed from its cause list a writ petition that challenged the legality of holding the national parliamentary election and a referendum on the same day. The order was issued on Tuesday by a bench led by Justice Rajik Al Jalil. Advocate Yunus Ali Akand represented the petitioner, while Additional Attorney General Anik R Haque appeared for the state.

Earlier, on January 7, another High Court bench had expressed its inability to hear the same petition. The writ, filed on January 5 by Supreme Court lawyer Yunus Ali Akand, sought suspension of the December 11 notification that announced schedules for both the national election and the referendum on the same day. It also requested the formation of a caretaker government and the issuance of a new election schedule.

The Chief Election Commissioner and other relevant officials were made respondents in the petition. The High Court’s latest order effectively removes the case from active judicial consideration for now.

Shamsuzzaman Dabul, general secretary of Jibannagar municipal BNP in Chuadanga, died in army custody shortly after midnight on Monday. His body was kept at Jibannagar Upazila Health Complex and later sent to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy. According to BNP activists, he was taken into custody from his pharmacy near the health complex around 10 p.m., and news of his death emerged about three hours later.

Following the incident, BNP leaders and activists gathered at the health complex and blocked roads until 11 a.m. Tuesday in protest. Dabul’s brother, a local forest officer, alleged that he was killed and demanded justice. A JCD leader claimed that army personnel had previously beaten four brothers on Saturday night. The army did not comment on camera but claimed to have recovered weapons from Dabul. District BNP president and Chuadanga-2 candidate Mahmud Hasan Khan Babu visited the site and said the party would pursue legal action.

BNP leaders stated they were preparing to file a case over the death. The local police confirmed the death but did not provide further details.

State-owned Sonali Bank achieved a record operating profit of Tk 8,017 crore in 2025, marking an increase of Tk 2,322 crore compared to 2024. The announcement was made by Managing Director Shawkat Ali Khan at a press conference held at the bank’s head office on Tuesday.

According to the managing director, the bank’s interest income rose significantly last year, contributing to the higher operating profit. After making necessary provisions, the net profit is expected to be around Tk 1,200 crore. He also reported that the bank’s total deposits stood at Tk 1,79,879 crore, while loans disbursed amounted to Tk 1,04,723 crore. In addition, Sonali Bank recovered Tk 1,203 crore in cash from defaulted loans during the year.

The figures highlight Sonali Bank’s strong performance in 2025, reflecting improved income generation and loan recovery within the state-owned banking sector.