DHAKA, Jan 13, 2026 (BSS) - The country's first government freelancer ID management software has been officially inaugurated as an effort to build a transparent, secure and harassment-free verification system for freelancers. He said the VAPT of the site has already been successfully completed, while sign-up and application for a freelancer ID can be done from today. A formal letter will be sent from the ICT Division to Bangladesh Bank, so that banks and financial institutions accept this digital freelancer ID instead of manual ID in the future, he said. He also commented that the engineers of the ICT Division who developed this software will maintain it. ICT Division Secretary Shish Haider Chowdhury, Additional Secretary of the ICT Division Md Mamunur Rashid Bhuiyan and Director General of the Department of ICT Md Abu Sayed also spoke, among others.

According to CID officials, the victims were lured with promises of legal migration to Italy. The deceased were identified as Sajal Bairagi, 25, Mamun Sheikh, 24, Nayan Biswas, 18, Kazi Sajib, 19, Kaiser Khalifa, 35, Md. Rifat Sheikh, 25, Russell Sheikh, 19, and Imrul Kayes Apon, 24. CID officials said Md. CID officials stated that necessary legal steps have been taken to produce the arrested accused before the court.

Russian attack on Ukraine's Kharkiv kills at least two: governorKYIV, Ukraine, Jan 13, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A Russian attack on Ukraine's northeastern city of Kharkiv killed two people and wounded several others, the regional governor said early Tuesday. "As of now, two people are known to have been killed by the enemy attacks on the outskirts of Kharkiv," Oleg Synegubov posted on Telegram. He also said another three people were wounded in the overnight attack. Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said a Russian long-range drone struck a medical facility for children, causing a fire. Moscow has pummelled Ukraine with daily drone and missile barrages in recent months, targeting energy infrastructure and cutting power in the frigid height of winter.

Adviser to the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Supradip Chakma. -File photoDHAKA, Jan 13, 2026 (BSS) - Adviser to the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Supradip Chakma today emphasized the importance of global partnerships in transforming the hill-people into skilled human resources and improving their living standards. The ILO delegation expressed keen interest in focusing on the Chittagong Hill Tracts through the ProGRESS project, funded by the Canadian government. Welcoming the ILO representatives, Adviser Supradip Chakma said the current government is working relentlessly to improve the living standards and capacity of the people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Secretary of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, Additional Secretary Md.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has reaffirmed its decision not to travel to India for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup over security concerns, while the International Cricket Council (ICC) has urged the board to reconsider its position. The matter was discussed during a video conference between the BCB and the ICC on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by the board. During the discussion, the BCB reiterated its stance on not travelling to India, citing security-related concerns, and said it remained firm in its decision. The board also renewed its request to the ICC to consider arranging Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup matches in a country other than India. In response, the ICC informed the BCB that the tournament schedule has already been announced and requested the board to reconsider its position.

Children accounted for the highest number of annual road accident fatalities in the country, with 591 losing their lives in 2025 alone. The figures were reported Tuesday by the Road Safety Foundation. The report highlights that most child fatalities occur while commuting to schools or playing near residential areas. Key causes cited include unsafe roads, lack of child awareness, unskilled drivers, inadequate medical care, and financial constraints faced by families. The Road Safety Foundation called for safer roads for children, public awareness programs, action against unskilled drivers, better hospital care, special treatment funds, and strict enforcement of the Road Transport Act 2018.

The United Nations rights chief said Tuesday he was “horrified” by the mounting violence directed at protesters across Iran, amid reports that hundreds have been killed. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk urged Tehran to halt all forms of violence and repression against peaceful protesters, and to restore full access to the internet and phone services. The Iranian people and their demands for fairness, equality and justice must be heard,” the UN rights chief said. Turk said all killings, violence against protesters and other rights violations must be investigated in line with international human rights norms and standards -- and those responsible held to account. US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly threatened Iran with military intervention, announced Monday a 25% tariff on any country doing business with Iran.

The body of Rafi, a class four student at Khulna Zilla School, was recovered from the Rupsa River on Tuesday, four days after he went missing. Rupsa River Police Officer-in-Charge, Inspector Abul Khayer Sheikh, said the boy had fallen into the river. Local residents spotted a floating body near the railway bridge under Labanchara Police Station around 7am and alerted the family. The matter has been reported to the river police.”Rafiq Sheikh broke down upon seeing his son’s body, while others present tried to console him. Inspector Abul Khayer Sheikh added that, at the family’s request, the body was handed over without an autopsy, the burial has been completed, and a general diary has been filed.

Thousands of people are feared dead following a severe crackdown on anti-government protests in Iran, as families abroad receive harrowing reports from those still inside the country. Describing the situation in their first calls home in several days, Iranians have spoken of extensive death and destruction, reports UNB. An Iranian security official has told a news agency that the death toll could be around 2,000 people, including security personnel. Protests have been ongoing for several weeks. Although some Iranians have been able to contact family members abroad, an ongoing internet blackout is hindering the verification of information from inside the country.

Detective Branch (DB) members have arrested eight members of a Telegram-based fraud syndicate including five Chinese nationals in separate raids in the capital’s Bashundhara and Uttara West areas. The arrestees are Chen Ling Feng, Zeng Kong, Zeng Changqiang, Wen Jian Qiu, Huang Zheng Jiang, Mohammad Zakaria, 26, Niaz Masum, 20, and Kamrul Hasan alias Hasan Joy, 38. During the drives, DB police recovered 51,251 sim cards of different mobile operators, 51 mobile phones and equipment of 21 VoIP gateways. Following the investigation, the DB members conducted a drive in Bashundhara Residential Area on Thursday and arrested Niaz Masum and Kamrul Hasan Joy. During that operation, seven illegal VoIP gateway devices, 47 mobile phones, 184 SIM cards and five laptops were seized.

The government on Tuesday approved separate proposals for procuring one crore liters of refined soybean oil and 40,000 metric tons of fertiliser to meet the growing demand in the country. The approval came from a meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase at the Secretariat with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair. During the meeting, a total of four purchase proposals from different ministries and divisions, namely from the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Industries, and the Road Transport and Highways Division, were approved. The project is being implemented by the Roads and Highways Department with joint financing from the Government of Bangladesh and the OPEC Fund. After detailed discussions, the work was awarded to the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), China with a total cost of Tk899.62 crore.

The Inter Services Public Relation (ISPR) Directorate said a high-level investigation committee has been formed following the death of a detainee during a joint forces operation in Jibannagar upazila of Chuadanga district. He was immediately taken to the Jibannagar Upazila Health Complex, where the on-duty doctor declared him dead at approximately 12:25am. The press release said the camp commander of the concerned camp and all army personnel who participated in the operation have been withdrawn to the cantonment. A high-level investigation committee has been formed to ascertain the exact cause of the incident. ISPR added that legal action will be taken under the Army Act against those found guilty following the investigation.

At least 100 children have been killed by Israeli airstrikes and ground forces in Gaza since the start of a tenuous ceasefire three months ago, the United Nations said on Tuesday. “More than 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire,” Unicef spokesman James Elder told reporters in Geneva. “That’s roughly a girl or a boy killed here every day during a ceasefire,” he said, speaking from Gaza City. They’re killed from tank shelling. An official at Gaza’s health ministry, which maintains casualty records, has reported a higher figure of 165 children killed during the tenuous ceasefire, out of a total 442 fatalities.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday sought the intervention of the Army Chief over the alleged killing of Shamsuzzaman Dablu, general secretary of Jibannagar Municipal unit BNP in Chuadanga, by members of the security forces. The BNP leader said the extrajudicial killing of Shamsuzzaman Dablu through torture is a gross violation of the country’s existing laws. Fakhrul said detaining Chuadanga BNP leader Shamsuzzaman Dablu in the name of arms recovery and killing him through brutal torture can never be acceptable to the people of the country. The BNP leader strongly condemned and protested the incident and demanded an immediate and impartial investigation to ensure justice. The BNP Secretary General prayed for the salvation of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members.

Malay Kumar Ganguly, a celebrated voice warrior of the 1971 Liberation War and a distinguished folk singer, passed away on Monday night. He passed away at 9:20pm while undergoing treatment at the National Heart Foundation in Dhaka. Born in 1946 in Mozaffarpur village of Kendua, Netrokona, Ganguly played a unique role in Bangladesh’s Liberation War, using his voice as a weapon. From Baliganj Circular Road, he regularly wrote songs, composed tunes, and inspired freedom fighters with his singing. Ganguly won widespread acclaim for his performance of Guru Upay Bolo Na in the film Putrobodhu.