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A full-scale security drill was held at Cox’s Bazar International Airport on Wednesday morning to test preparedness against threats such as hijacking and bomb attacks. Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal Mustafa Mahmud Siddiq attended the drill as chief guest. According to the scenario, an aircraft with eight passengers and two cabin crew departed Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:30am for Cox’s Bazar. Ten minutes after take-off, the Cox’s Bazar control tower received an anonymous call claiming a bomb was on board. Considering the threat credible, airport authorities declared a “full emergency” and activated the Emergency Operations Centre.

Chhatra Shibir-backed candidates are leading in the top three posts of the Jagannath University Central Students’ Union (JnUCSU) election, according to partial results announced by the Election Commission. As of 9pm on Wednesday, the Election Commission had completed counting votes at 28 centers and announced the results. In the vice president (VP) post, Riazul Islam of the Shibir-backed “Adommo Jobiyan Oikya” panel is leading with 3,729 votes. In the General Secretary (GS) post, Abdul Alim Arif of the “Adommo Jobiyan Oikya” panel is leading with 3,842 votes. His nearest competitor, Khadijatul Kubra of the “Oikyaboddho Nirbhik Jobiyan” panel, has received 1,465 votes.

Godagari upazila in Rajshahi, part of the drought-prone Barind region, has witnessed a major transformation in its agricultural landscape over the past decade. The upazila has about 41,199 hectares of cultivable land where at least 22 types of crops are grown, including rice, vegetables and fruits. Large-scale fruit cultivation has created employment opportunities for thousands of people. This season, Pran Group alone purchased about 22,000 tonnes of tomato from local farmers under contract farming. Rajshahi University economist Dr Kazi Zulfikar Ali said that proper preservation infrastructure could significantly benefit marginal farmers and reduce food waste.

Naogaon police have launched an inquiry into allegations that an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) summoned and assaulted a bus driver at her office following a dispute involving her husband. When the bus reached Dighar Mor, the passenger assigned to the seat occupied by Jayanta Barman boarded the bus. An argument later followed with the driver, and Jayanta Barman subsequently got off the bus at Dhansura. Later that night, around 10:00pm, when the bus returned to Sapahar, driver Badal was summoned from the bus stand to the Circle Office. She said the driver and supervisor were later called to the office, where the driver apologized, while the supervisor did not appear.

A century-old manuscript of traditional jatra pala (folk theatre) has been discovered in Gopalganj, shedding new light on rich folk-cultural heritage in the region. The manuscript belongs to Binapani Jatra Party, which was founded at Raghunathpur village in Sadar upazila of Gopalganj in 1332 BS. The manuscript was recently recovered from a suitcase kept by Shukdeb Mondal, a retired bank officer, freedom fighter and grandson of the troupe’s founder Bidhubhushan Mondal. According to Shukdeb Mondal, Binapani Jatra Party once had 108 artistes and earned a countrywide reputation for superb performances. On December 28, the Binapani Jatra Party staged the play “Jel Theke Bolchi” in Dhaka as an audition performance.

The agriculture sector recorded its fourth consecutive month of expansion, and at a faster rate. The sector posted stronger expansion in the indexes of new business, business activity, employment, and input costs, while the order backlogs index showed a faster rate of contraction. The sector posted a faster contraction rate for the new business index, while slower rates of expansion for the indexes of construction activity, employment, but slightly faster expansion rate for the input costs index. The services sector recorded its 15th consecutive month of expansion, and at a slightly faster pace. In terms of the future business index, slower expansion rates were recorded for all the key indexes of agriculture, manufacturing, construction, and services.

The meeting covered a range of issues, including Bangladesh–EU relations, PCA negotiations, the upcoming general election and referendum, combating illegal migration, and expanding trade and investment. It was very closely followed and appreciated by the European Union,” she said, adding that when the Interim Government took office, the ambition for reforms was huge. Pampaloni welcomed the progress made on the PCA, saying the pact would deepen ties between the EU and Bangladesh and open significant opportunities in trade and investment. The EU official emphasized that the EU attaches top priority to its relationship with Bangladesh, reflected in its decision to deploy a high-level election observation mission for the February 12 general election. Yunus said both the general election and the referendum are crucial for Bangladesh’s democratic transition.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey on Wednesday said former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia was a towering figure in Bangladesh's political landscape and a trailblazer who broke barriers as the first woman to serve as prime minister of Bangladesh. “Her leadership across three terms demonstrated her unwavering commitment to the welfare of the Bangladeshi people,” she said in a message sent to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus. “It is with sadness that I learnt of the passing of the former prime minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Begum Khaleda Zia,” said the secretary general. On behalf of the Commonwealth family, she extended their deepest condolences to the family of the former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, and to all the people of Bangladesh during this period of mourning. “Please accept, chief adviser, my deepest sympathies and the assurances of my highest consideration,” she said, extending her deepest condolences.

The government has decided to deploy law enforcement forces in two phases to ensure that the 13th national elections are held in a free, fair, peaceful and impartial manner. Under the plan, police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Ansar and VDP, and the Coast Guard will be deployed to maintain law and order during the elections. To maintain peace and order in election areas, the armed forces, BGB, Coast Guard, RAB, police, APBN and Ansar Battalion will operate as mobile and striking forces. All deployed forces will report to the respective returning officers and carry out their duties in line with their instructions. To enhance coordination, law and order coordination cells will be formed at district and upazila levels, comprising representatives from the armed forces, BGB, Coast Guard, RAB, police and Ansar VDP.

The final match and prize distribution ceremony were held at 10:00 am at the Sundarghona Kathaltola ground in Bagerhat Sadar upazila. The event was organized jointly by the Bagerhat District Administration and the Bagerhat Narcotics Control Department. Bagerhat Deputy Commissioner Golam Md. Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Commissioner Golam Md. In the final match, Burigangni defeated Terkhada to claim the championship title, while Terkhada finished as runners-up.

Bangladesh will not play the T20 World Cup in India, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) reiterated on Wednesday, following a meeting with Youth and Sports Adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul. The meeting, held at 4pm, was attended by BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul, Director Faruk Ahmed, and several other board directors. After the meeting, Bulbul told journalists: “Bangladesh is firm on not going to play the T20 World Cup in India. We want to play cricket, we want to play in the World Cup. The ICC will consider our arguments impartially and will give us the opportunity to play in the T20 World Cup that we have worked hard to achieve.”

DHAKA, Jan 7, 2026 (BSS) - Postal ballots have so far been sent to 677,233 expatriate voters living in different countries across the world to cast their votes in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election and referendum. Of them, 761,141 voters registered under the "In-country postal vote" category inside the country, while 772,542 expatriate voters registered from different countries across the globe. Salim Ahmad Khan said that symbols will be allocated on January 21 and expressed hope that postal ballots would reach expatriate voters before that time. Regarding that secrecy of ballots, he said it is the responsibility of expatriates who have received postal ballots to maintain the secrecy of the ballots, adding that the national identity cards (NIDs) of those violating ballot secrecy may be blocked. EC sources said that postal ballots were sent to 41,464 expatriates in different countries on Tuesday evening.

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has lowered the price of jet fuel for domestic routes from Tk 104.61 to Tk 94.93 per litre. The BERC first set jet fuel prices in May 2025, announcing that rates would be adjusted monthly to reflect international market fluctuations, increasing when global prices rise and falling when they drop. Earlier, the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) determined fuel prices periodically. The commission held its first public hearing on Mar 23 to determine jet fuel rates under the new framework. According to BPC’s annual report, 471,535 metric tonnes of jet fuel were sold domestically in the 2022–23 fiscal year.

The cold wave has badly affected daily wage earners, including agricultural laborers, boatmen and van drivers. In Begumganj union of Ulipur upazila, which is isolated by the Brahmaputra River, the demand for winter clothes has surged. Although 61 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are registered in the district, local residents allege that their activities in char areas remain largely invisible amid the ongoing cold wave. However, local residents insist that the actual demand for winter clothes in char areas far exceeds the number distributed. They fear that if the cold wave persists, the hardship and suffering of vulnerable people will intensify further.