Environmental experts on Saturday stressed the need for long-term planning, coordinated initiatives and sustained action to address Bangladesh’s growing environmental crisis, warning that short-term and fragmented projects are no longer sufficient. The remarks were made during a special session on the second day of the National Environmental Conference titled “The Need for Environmental Reforms and the Way Forward,” held at the Krishibid Institution auditorium in the capital. The session was chaired by Dr Nazrul Islam, chairman of the Urban Development Research Centre. A total of 117 local and international experts presented research papers at the conference, while grassroots environmental activists shared their field-level experiences. In his closing remarks, Dr Nazrul Islam said policy reform alone is not enough to resolve environmental challenges.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Saturday said his party would lead the nation in the right direction if it come to power, stressing that the country must not return to the situation that existed before August 5. But clearly, we do not want to go back to the situation before August 5,” the BNP chairman said. Tarique Rahman urged the people of all political views to resolve differences through dialogue, saying differences of opinion should never turn into division. The BNP chairman said politicians must work for the country’s independence and sovereignty by learning from key moments in history, including 1971, 1990 and August 5, 2024. Earlier, Tarique Rahman arrived at the venue at around 10:52am and exchanged pleasantries with editors and journalists by moving from table to table.

BNP Chairperson’s Adviser and BNP candidate for Chapainawabganj-3, Harunur Rashid, has warned that police stations will be besieged with public support if innocent leaders and activists of the Awami League (AL) are harassed or arrested. Harunur Rashid said that the Awami League does not have any electoral symbol in the upcoming election. But if anyone is harassed or detained simply because they belong to the Awami League, it will not be tolerated,” he said. He added that there have already been incidents in which people were harassed merely on allegations of being affiliated with the Awami League. 1 BNP general secretary Abdul Bari, former councillor Iftekhar Ahmed Ranjhu, and leaders and activists of the BNP and its affiliated organizations.

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Saturday urged the political parties, religious leaders, community organizations and international entities to reject efforts to stir fear or exploit tensions. Like many Bangladeshis, Alam said, he is deeply concerned about the safety and dignity of every citizen. "I understand the fear and trauma these incidents create, especially among religious minorities who are an inseparable part of our society," said the Press Secretary. "Protecting all communities, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and Muslim alike, is something I take personally. The Home Ministry is working with local authorities to respond quickly, protect victims and witnesses, and ensure the law is applied fairly, said the press secretary.

“We don’t want to be Americans,” Greenland’s political parties said after US President Donald Trump again suggested using force to seize the mineral-rich Danish autonomous territory. The statement late Friday came after Trump repeated that Washington was “going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not.”“We don’t want to be Americans, we don’t want to be Danish, we want to be Greenlanders,” the leaders of five parties in Greenland’s parliament said. Trump says controlling the strategic island is crucial for US national security given the rising military activity of Russia and China in the Arctic. “We’re not going to have Russia or China occupy Greenland. Trump has made light of the concerns of Denmark, a steadfast US ally that joined the United States in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Bangladesh has achieved an "important step forward" towards strengthening its mutually beneficial trade relationship with the United States, opening the door to greater market access and new opportunities for its vital textile and apparel sector. Even more significantly, he said, both sides have developed an innovative and forward-looking solution to support Bangladesh’s export priorities. Under a proposed preferential scheme discussed yesterday by Dr Rahman and Ambassador Greer, Bangladesh would receive tariff-free access to the US market for textile and apparel exports equivalent to its imports of US-produced cotton and man-made fiber textile inputs, measured on a square-meter basis. This creative, win-win approach strengthens bilateral trade, supports Bangladeshi manufacturers and workers, and deepens supply-chain ties with US producers, said the interim government. It reflects "growing momentum and goodwill" in Bangladesh-US economic relations and marks a promising new chapter for Bangladesh’s global trade prospects.

Jamaat-e-Islami has earlier expressed dissatisfaction over the level playing field in the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad election. According to the 11-party alliance candidate, signalling is being made to favour a particular party. He also claimed that the Jamaat–NCP-led 11-party alliance is far ahead of the BNP-led alliance in terms of election preparations. He said, “So far, we do not have confidence in a level playing field in the election. Signals are being given to benefit a particular party, which sends a different message to the public.

Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul on Saturday said freedom of expression belongs to everyone except the government, underscoring the need for tolerance, accountability, and long-term reform as Bangladesh heads toward the next national election. He made the remarks at a policy dialogue titled “Political Parties, Human Rights, and Freedom of Expression,” organized by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) at the CIRDAP Auditorium in Dhaka. The dialogue brought together political leaders, civil society representatives, academics, lawyers, journalists, and human rights activists to review the state of human rights and freedom of expression in political discourse ahead of the polls. CGS President Zillur Rahman warned that human rights and freedom of expression tend to shrink as elections approach. Questioning whether the rule of law truly exists in Bangladesh, he cited prolonged court proceedings and what he described as fragile media freedom.

DHAKA, Jan 10, 2026 (BSS) - A mild cold wave is continuing to affect 19 districts of the country today, even as temperatures show a slight upward trend, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department. The mild cold wave is sweeping over Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions, along with the districts of Jashore, Chuadanga and Kushtia, and it may persist at places. Although temperatures are increasing marginally compared to previous days, the cold wave has not fully subsided. Meteorologists noted that while moderate cold wave conditions prevailed until Friday, the intensity has eased to mild in most affected areas today. On Friday, cold wave conditions were reported in 20 districts, while on Thursday they affected 24 districts.

Photo: BSSCHATTOGRAM, Jan 10, 2026 (BSS) - Speakers at an election awareness programme today emphasized raising mass awareness alongside active participation of the general public in the election process to ensure meaningful democratic outcomes. SUJAN, a national civic platform, and Youth Ending Hunger (YEH) jointly organized the sensitization programme titled "Election Olympiad" at Chattogram Government College campus this morning. Eminent economist and SUJAN district unit president Prof Sekandar Khan attended the programme as chief guest, while Additional Regional Election Officer Shakawat Hossain was present as special guest. YEH National Coordinator Sadib Bin Yusuf presided over the function. Addressing the function, Prof Sekandar Khan said dissemination of election-related information and proper knowledge are key to a quality and meaningful election.

New rallies in Iran as son of shah calls for city centres to be seizedPARIS, France, Jan 10, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Major Iranian cities were gripped overnight by new mass rallies denouncing the Islamic republic, as the son of the ousted shah urged protesters on Saturday to plan to seize city centres. - 'Big trouble' -Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran's ousted shah, hailed the "magnificent" turnout on Friday and urged Iranians to stage more targeted protests this Saturday and Sunday. The goal is to prepare to seize and hold city centres," Pahlavi said in a video message on social media. US President Donald Trump again refused on Friday to rule out new military action against Iran after Washington backed and joined Israel's 12-day war against the Islamic republic in June. Asked about his message to Iran's leaders, Trump said: "You better not start shooting because we'll start shooting too."

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Jatiya Party Secretary General Shameem Haider Patwary has said there is "no possibility" of the 13th parliamentary election being held fairly unless “mobs" are brought under control. Speaking during a media briefing at the Election Commission (EC) on Saturday following appeal hearings on party candidates' nominations, he urged the commission to take a "firm" stance during the election period, bdnews24.com reports. The Jatiya Party leader alleged that several returning officers were unable to rectify even minor, correctable errors on nomination papers because of these "mobs". Patwary confirmed that 25 Jatiya Party candidates had filed appeals against the cancellation of their nominations. During the briefing, he noted that the party's nominees for Chapainawabganj-2, Narayanganj-4, Narsingdi-1, and Shariatpur-1 have had their candidacies validated, while one appeal remains "pending".

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Tarique Rahman has been appointed as the chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)Dhaka (Bangladesh)Tarique Rahman has been appointed as the chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), days after the demise of his mother and party chairperson Khaleda Zia following a prolonged illness. The Standing Committee of the BNP approved the appointment of Rahman as the Chairman of the party in a meeting on Friday. “Following the passing of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister, national leader Begum Khaleda Zia, the position of party Chairman became vacant. Rahman, who returned to Bangladesh on December 25 after 17 years of self-exile in London, was appointed the chairman after the post of BNP chairman was left vacant following the death of party chairperson and his mother, Khaleda Zia. In 2018, when Zia was imprisoned, Rahman was appointed acting chairperson of the party.