Following information from the resort authorities, the Coast Guard launched a joint operation. Based on information obtained from the detainees, the Coast Guard later arrested the gang leader, Masum Mridha (23), from the Terokhada area of Khulna on January 7. Haq said that over the past year, Coast Guard operations in the Sundarbans resulted in the recovery of 38 firearms, two hand grenades, 74 domestic weapons, large quantities of ammunition-making equipment, and the rescue of 52 hostages. He added that several notorious gangs, including Achabur Bahini, Hannan Bahini, Anarul Bahini, Manju Bahini and Ranga Bahini, have been completely neutralized. To ensure long-term security in the Sundarbans, the Coast Guard emphasized the need to increase manpower, establish new stations at strategic locations, deploy faster speedboats, and enhance surveillance through modern drones.

Photo: BSSBAGERHAT, Jan 8, 2026 (BSS) - A two-day training programme for farmers was held in Chitalmari upazila of the district under the Family Nutrition Garden Project during the 2025-26 fiscal year. A total of 30 farmers participated in the training, which focused on utilizing uncultivated fallow land and household courtyards to establish nutrition gardens aimed at improving family nutrition and food security. The concluding session of the training was held today at 10:00 am at the Upazila Krishak Hall Room. Monir Hossain, conducted the training and provided practical guidance on nutrition gardening techniques. At the end of the programme, fruit saplings and seeds were distributed among the participating farmers to encourage the implementation of the knowledge gained during the training.

DHAKA, Jan 8, 2026 (BSS) - In light of recent reports of fraudulent activities misusing the World Bank’s name and logo in Bangladesh, the World Bank is alerting general public of scams offering loans from the World Bank in exchange of fees. The World Bank does not provide loans directly to individuals and does not ask for any personal financial information, said the World Bank in a statement. It said perpetrators have created Facebook pages, fake IDs and using other techniques to impersonate the World Bank and lure payments using mobile banking. “If individuals encounter such fraudulent schemes, they are encouraged to report to the local authorities immediately,” it said. The World Bank has no involvement in such schemes, and it cautioned all to be wary of these and other similar solicitations that falsely claim to be affiliated with the World Bank.

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul. File PhotoDHAKA, Jan 8, 2026 (BSS) - Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul today said a draft of the Indemnity Ordinance will be placed in the next meeting of the Council of Advisers aiming to give impunity to July warriors. The law adviser said Article 46 of the Constitution of Bangladesh allows the law of impunity, and an indemnity law was enacted for freedom fighters in 1973 after the great Liberation War. "In the light of these precedents and laws, the Law Ministry has prepared a draft of the Indemnity Ordinance. "It is our sacred duty to keep the July safe," Dr Asif Nazrul added.

“This is the people’s expectation—the nation’s expectation—and it should be viewed from that perspective,” the BNP leader added. As a result, the BNP leader said, there is disappointment among those who were denied nominations. “Insha’Allah, with united efforts and the sincerity of all political parties, we will be able to cross the electoral hurdle smoothly. Although there were many demands earlier, all parties are now committed to the election,” the BNP leader said. I believe all political parties and the people are sincere about a fair election,” he observed.

A murder case has been filed over the shooting death of Musabbir, former general secretary of Dhaka North Swechhasebak Dal. The case was filed with Tejgaon Police Station by Musabbir’s wife, naming several unidentified individuals as accused, police said on Thursday. Confirming the matter, Tejgaon Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Keshinyu Marma said three to four unknown persons have been mentioned in the case. Musabbir was shot dead by assailants at around 8:40pm on Wednesday in an alley behind Star Kabar in Kawran Bazar under Tejgaon area of the capital. During the attack, Md Abu Sufian Masud, general secretary of the Kawran Bazar Van Samity, was also shot.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin on Thursday said the 13th parliamentary election won't be a "staged-managed" one election unlike the previous ones in the past. “Unlike before, there will be no staged election this time… A level playing field will be ensured for everyone,” he said. The CEC made the remarks after inspecting 10 booths installed on the premises of the Election Commission in the city's Agargaon area to receive appeals from aggrieved aspirants against the decisions of returning officers. He said the Election Commission believes in justice and fairness. The Election Commission on December 12 last declared the schedule to arrange the 13th national election and the referendum on July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order simultaneously on February 12, 2026.

The persistence of corporal punishment in classrooms, despite legal and policy prohibitions, is a troubling reminder of a problematic practice that refuses to leave our students alone. Even more concerning, perhaps, is the mindset this normalization enforces: That physical violence is an expression of authority and a legitimate solution to conflict. Parents and school authorities must work together to reject the long-standing culture of physical punishment under the guise of “disciplining” children. Childhood is a formative period that shapes one’s future, and Bangladesh’s future certainly depends on how we treat its youngest learners. Let this be the year we finally leave classroom abuse behind, and replace it with practices of empathy, encouragement, and educational integrity.

Candidates from the Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed Odommo Jobian Oikya panel have secured victory in the three top posts—Vice President (VP), General Secretary (GS), and Assistant General Secretary (AGS)—in the Jagannath University Central Students’ Union (JnUCSU) election. According to the results, Odommo Jobian Oikya panel’s VP candidate Riaz ul Islam won with 5,564 votes. His closest rival, AKM Rakib from the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal-backed Oikjoboddho Nirbheek Jobian panel, secured 4,688 votes, leaving a margin of 880 votes. In the general secretary (GS) race, Abdul Alim Arif of the Shibir-backed panel received 5,470 votes to clinch victory. Meanwhile, Masud Rana of the Odommo Jobian Oikya panel won the assistant general secretary (AGS) post with 5,002 votes.

Leadership is crippled and politics is hobbled when those who hold the levers of power are caught in circumstances rather unforeseen or unwarranted. It was too late when Biden was persuaded to abandon his second term ambitions. Instances of leaders crippled by age or by upended politics have there been aplenty in our times. Before him, the war in Vietnam left President Lyndon Johnson hobbled, enough to force him into renouncing a second term. It is that military coups against elected governments leave societies and nations crippled.

Bangladesh has further restricted visa issuance for Indian nationals, extending the curbs to its deputy high commissions in Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. According to the ministry, consular and visa services have been halted at the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, while tourist and other visa services for Indian nationals have also been suspended at missions in Mumbai and Chennai. Earlier, on December 22, Bangladesh temporarily suspended visa issuance and consular services at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, the Assistant High Commission in Agartala, Tripura, and the visa centre in Siliguri. An official at the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata said the move was taken on instructions from higher authorities and that only business and employment visas are currently being issued. Meanwhile, leaders and activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) staged a protest outside the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Mumbai.

In any modern service-driven economy where value is created through interaction, participation, and service exchange, women cannot remain only consumers of financial services. The result is a digital economy where women are permitted to consume but are effectively excluded from producing and delivering financial services. Digital finance is a missed employment engine for womenThis exclusion matters because digital financial services represent one of the easiest labour-market entry points for women in Bangladesh. This creates positive network effects: More women agents lead to more active women users, which increases ecosystem liquidity and digital commerce. A digital economy where women account for nearly half of users but over 97% of providers are men is structurally unbalanced.

The rapid growth of digital employment in Bangladesh, while undeniably promising, is also an avenue that demands careful and deliberate planning. The momentum of the digital job market is not matched by our current institutional framework, and what Bangladesh urgently needs is digital inclusion that leaves no one behind. Digital literacy must also be scaled up -- not only for basic skills, but for advanced competencies that allow workers to compete globally. Finally, digital platforms must be regulated to ensure fair pay, prevent exploitation, and provide transparent dispute resolution. Digital employment can be transformative, but only if we bridge gaps rather than allow them to widen.

A legal notice has been served on the authorities, including the inspector general of police (IGP) and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner, seeking immediate action to shut down unlicensed shisha lounges and alleged drug dens operating in upscale areas of the capital. According to the reports, tobacco shisha is used alongside various illegal drugs at these venues, and other unlawful activities are also carried out. According to the notice, more than a hundred shisha lounges are allegedly operating in Dhaka, with at least 50 of them having become popular hangouts for young people. Some reports claim that drugs such as yaba, marijuana, phensedyl and liquid cocaine are mixed with shisha at certain venues. The legal notice urges the authorities to take immediate and effective measures to close all unlicensed shisha lounges and prevent the continuation of illegal activities in the name of such establishments.

BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman is due to visit martyr Abu Sayed's grave at his native village Babanpur in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur at 2pm on Monday next. Earlier, Tarique Rahman's tour director (coordination) Captain (retd) Ganiul Azam also confirmed the matter. In the four-day program, Tarique Rahman will travel from Dhaka by road via Tangail and Sirajganj to Bogra on January 11 and spend the night there. Principal Asadul Habib Dulu in the meeting instructed the participating BNP leaders and MP candidates to celebrate Tarique Rahman's visit historically. Dulu told reporters that BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman is not coming on any political tour to different districts in the Rangpur division.