Full power generation at Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant in Dinajpur has been suspended following a boiler tube burst. All three units of the plant, with a combined capacity of 525 megawatts (MW), have been out of operation since Sunday morning. Abu Bakr Siddique, chief engineer of the power plant, said that of the three units, Unit-1, with a capacity of 125 MW, had been generating around 60 MW of electricity at the time of the incident. He added, ''The boiler tube of Unit-1 burst around 11am due to excessive heat pressure. As a result, the coal-fired power plant is currently completely shut down.

A discussion and doa mahfil were held on Monday in Bagerhat marking the 90th birth anniversary of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman. The event was arranged by Bagerhat Zila BNP along with its affiliated and associate organizations. Bagerhat Zila BNP Convener Engineer ATM Akram Hossain Talmir presided over the discussion meeting, while Barrister Sheikh Mohammad Zakaria Hossain delivered the keynote address. Among others, Central BNP member Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bagerhat Zila BNP Member Secretary Mozaffar Rahman Alam, Joint Secretary Khadem-e-Nayemul Nasri Alap and Shamsur Ali Mohan addressed the meeting. Following the discussion, a special prayer (doa) was offered seeking eternal peace for the departed soul of President Ziaur Rahman.

Criminal defamation cases have been filed in Kushtia and Khulna against Jamaat-e-Islami–nominated Kushtia-3 candidate Mufti Amir Hamza for allegedly making derogatory remarks about the late Arafat Rahman Koko, younger son of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. According to the complaint, several videos circulating on social media show Mufti Amir Hamza making derogatory comments during a religious sermon. He allegedly mocked the name of the late Arafat Rahman Koko and made offensive remarks about Khaleda Zia’s imprisonment during the previous Awami League government. The complaint claims the remarks harmed the honour and dignity of Arafat Rahman Koko, Begum Khaleda Zia, and their family. In the video, the accused allegedly made mocking, offensive and obscene remarks using the name of the late Arafat Rahman Koko, which were later widely circulated on social media.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard has detained 11 smugglers along with a trawler carrying 750 bags of cement while attempting to smuggle the goods to Myanmar. The incident took place in the sea near Saint Martin’s Island in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar. In a press release issued on Sunday, Coast Guard Headquarters’ media officer Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq said the detainees are residents of different areas in Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong districts. When the Coast Guard ordered the trawler to stop, the smugglers attempted to flee at high speed. The estimated market value of the seized cement is approximately Tk 3.737 million.

The Dhaka Transport Owners’ Association, in coordination with the Traffic Division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), has taken an initiative to reintroduce a counter-based and e-ticketing system for bus operations in Dhaka city and its surrounding areas. The system is expected to be launched next week, the DMP Media Division said on Monday. Speaking at the event, Sarwar said, “The Dhaka Metropolitan Police has been working continuously to ease traffic congestion in the city. As part of this effort, the e-ticketing system is being introduced today and will be implemented next week. This initiative will benefit bus passengers, owners, workers and the residents of Dhaka.”

Rumeen Farhana, the independent candidate for Brahmanbaria-2, has said the administration has “punished” her three times over an offence. She accused the election authorities of showing “bias” during a meeting with journalists at the Brahmanbaria Press Club on Monday. In a video that went viral on social media, Rumeen was seen showing her thumb to the administrator. I was copying Ashuganj Upazila BNP’s General Secretary when I made this gesture,” said Rumeen. “Even if I did commit an offence, I am being punished three times for it,” she said.

Photo: BSSRANGPUR, Jan 19, 2026 (BSS) - Adviser to the Ministry of Information andBroadcasting, Environment, Forests and Climate Change and Water ResourcesSyeda Rizwana Hasan has urged everyone to vote 'Yes' in the referendum forchanges. "In addition, 'Yes' vote will create opportunities for people to have theirsay in the administration, that's why we all have to say 'Yes' in thereferendum," she said. "If 'Yes' vote wins, accountability will come within the party, democracywill come and new leadership will be created. Rizwana Hasan said that the President should be empowered so that he can playthe necessary role as a guardian if the nation is ever divided. She said, "Vote 'Yes' if you want the country to not continue as before andto bring a balance in running the country."

A high-speed train has derailed and been hit by another in southern Spain killing at least 39 people and injuring more than 120, authorities said on Monday. The crash happened on Sunday evening when a train operated by rail company Iryo travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed near Adamuz in Andalucia. Transport Minister Oscar Puente said at least 39 people died, warning this toll was “not definitive” and could still rise. The first train to derail was “practically new,” making the accident “extremely strange” and “very difficult to explain,” he said. Renfe, the operator of the second train, has not said how many passengers were on the service, which was travelling to the southern city of Huelva.

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Monday said some 8,97,117 members of law enforcement agencies will be deployed during the national election to ensure security. The adviser disclosed the information while talking to reporters after a meeting of the Core Committee on Law and Order at the Secretariat. Law enforcement agencies will use 418 drones during the voting period as part of enhanced security measures to maintain law and order and monitor the situation across the country, he said. Besides, the adviser said, the government has identified 8,780 polling centres as highly risky. The 13th parliamentary election will be held on February 12.

A fire that ripped through a shopping mall in Pakistan’s biggest city has killed at least 21 people, rescuers in Karachi said Monday. “In total 21 bodies have been recovered,” Hassan Khan, spokesman for the Rescue 1122 Sindh emergency service, told AFP. Standing outside the burnt mall, Shehbaz Ghulam said his nephew’s whereabouts were unknown. It continued to ring until midnight, but no one picked up,” Qaisar, 55, told AFP. The three-storey shopping mall housed at least 1,200 shops, offering a wide range of goods and was famous for wedding shopping and home decoration items.

The National Citizen Party (NCP) on Monday announced a centrally managed crowdfunding initiative ahead of the 13th national parliamentary election, aiming to raise funds directly from the public. “We do not want to enter parliament with funds from loan defaulters or businessmen. Asif added that while NCP candidates had previously raised election funds individually, the party is now introducing a centralized crowdfunding system through a designated website. “Unlike the BNP, we will not contest elections with thousands of crores of taka from loan defaulters. When asked whether donations would be returned if NCP decides not to participate in the election, Asif declined to comment, saying no final decision has been made.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Monday called for a shift in Bangladesh’s political culture, saying politics must move beyond decades of blame and confrontation and focus instead on improving the lives of ordinary people. The event saw BNP provide financial assistance to three-year-old Afia, a child born with albinism, a genetic condition. Tarique said true politics is about easing people’s suffering, not merely criticizing rivals from public platforms. Referring to decades of confrontational politics, he said: “We have followed a certain style of politics for many years. “Insha’Allah, when BNP forms government in the coming days, just as Begum Khaleda Zia always stood beside you, so too will her party, BNP, stand firmly beside you,” he said.

The Election Commission (EC) has rolled out a fresh action plan (roadmap) to ensure the smooth conduct of the upcoming national election and referendum scheduled for February 12. The Commission sent the action plan, along with the implementation progress of the previous action plan, to all divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, and EC officials, asking them to take necessary measures accordingly. Presiding officers, assistant presiding officers, polling officers, and master trainers of polling agents will be trained on January 21 and 22. On voting day (February 12), the EC will gather reports on the balloting situation and primary results, publishing the preliminary election results on its website as per the action plan. On August 28 last year, the Election Commission unveiled its electoral action plan, setting timelines for completing all necessary measures to hold the 13th parliamentary election before Ramadan in February 2026.

A total of 150 candidates have been disqualified from the 13th national parliamentary election following scrutiny, appeals, and hearings conducted by the Election Commission (EC). Of the disqualified candidates, 98 were independents, while the remainder represented various political parties. These included four Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) nominees, four BNP rebel candidates, one Jamaat-e-Islami nominee, 21 Jatiya Party candidates, and 22 from other parties. BNP, Jamaat, and Jatiya Party candidatesBNP candidates whose nominations were cancelled include Munjurul Ahsan Munshi (Comilla-4), TS Ayub (Jessore-4), Sarwar Alamgir (Chittagong-2), and Abdul Gafur Bhuiyan (Comilla-10). Notable Jatiya Party candidates disqualified after appeal hearings include Mohammad Israfil Mia (Gazipur-2), Nurul Islam Milon (Comilla-8), Md Mujibul Haque (Kishoreganj-3), and SM Abdul Mannan (Manikganj-2).

Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, Chair of the Election Management Committee of the National Citizens Party (NCP), has said that concerns will arise over the credibility of the election if the Election Commission (EC) acts in a partisan manner. “Yet we are being issued show-cause notices for campaigning in favour of a ‘Yes’ vote,” he added. Asif Mahmud demanded that the show-cause notices issued to the NCP be withdrawn and that the Election Commission provide an explanation to the public. Asif Mahmud also stated that two NCP members had been served show-cause notices for campaigning related to the referendum. “These show-cause notices are being issued with ulterior motives,” he claimed, adding that the NCP supports the ‘Yes’ vote in favour of reform.